A woman's touch
by Anne-Lilian
Summary: femMerlin, full summary inside. I've read all female Merlin stories out there I think and I just thought I'd give it a try. So far only Merlynn/Will pairing, but will include some Arthur/Merlin. Rated T because I felt like it. Warning; in the beginning very canon!
1. The dragon's call  part 1

**A/N: This is my first attempt at a Merlin fanfic, so bear with me. Whenever I read a femMerlin ff, I like them except for a few details that annoy the hell out of me, soI said to myself: If you're so sure you can do it better, than go ahead and write one! So I did!  
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**F****ull summary: Same summary as the actual Merlin series, though you don't have to have seen them to read this. Female Merlin=Merlynn. So far no pairings other than Merlynn/Will and later Gwen/Arthur. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Merlin, only the name Merlynn and some OC's in later chapters. I also want to say that I might have (subcontiously or otherwise) stolen some ideas off other stories (mainly the one about Merlayna, Merlinna and Merlyn) So hereby I say I'm sorry, I didn't meen to (hence the mention of the stories)  
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**I might add some episodes in between simply because I want to ^^  
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1 The dragon's call – part one**

Merlynn. She was a simple peasant girl, nothing special. At least, not until you look a little closer. The girl, no more than sixteen or seventeen years old, walked with slightly hunched shoulders and kept looking around. To a passer-by this might be interpreted as looking at the beautiful land that was Camelot, and the hunch could be explained by the backpack she was carrying.

All in all, not very special. She looked ordinary enough, with her plain, dark blue dress and long black hair, tied together in a braid that hung over her shoulder. The only exceptional thing about her, were her eyes. The most amazing, large, deep blue eyes you would ever see in your life. They seemed innocent and youthful, yet old ancient and wise as well.

You see, this young peasant girl had a secret, a secret so dangerous only three people knew about it; Merlynn herself, her mother and her best friend Will. She was a sorceress, and she was about to do the most stupid thing a sorceress could possibly do: She was heading for Camelot, the place where people with her gifts were executed, burnt at the stake.

But even with all this hanging over her head, the cheerful girl had a skip in her pace and a smile on her face that would make you think she was just like any other girl, heading home to her family.

Just to clear things up; that girl is me.

I made my way through the capital, seeing a lot of new faces and the beauty of this city. I finally arrived at the courtyard where I knew the court physician's house was.

An executioners block was set up in the middle of the courtyard and a lot of people gathered around as a young man was led towards it by two armed guards. I wasn't exactly sure what was happening until the King spoke.

"Let this serve as a lesson to all. This man, Thomas James Collins, was found guilty of conspiring to use enchantments and magic. Pursuant to the laws of Camelot, I, Uther Pendragon, have decreed that such practises are banned on penalty of death. I pride myself as a fair and just king, but for the crime of sorcery there is but one sentence I can pass."

I was only now starting to realize what I was getting myself into. Looking around, I could tell this occurred regularly. I gazed at a beautiful woman looking on through a window, a pained expression on her face. She was most likely a lady of the court, but for the life of me, I couldn't fathom why this woman would be sorry for this sorcerer's death.

The king motioned for the executioner to carry out the sentence, while the lady looked away.

As the axe came down, I felt sick, and not a bit afraid that one day I might end up there myself.

"When I came to this land this kingdom was mired in chaos, but with the people's help magic was driven from the realm. So I declare a festival to celebrate twenty years since the great dragon was captured and Camelot freed from the evil of sorcery. Let the celebrations begin!" the king concluded.

I was just about to ask a guard where I could find the physician when an old woman's cries sounded loud over the quiet courtyard.

"There is only one evil in this land and it is not magic!" the heartbroken woman called out to Uther. "It is you! With your hatred and your ignorance. You took my son!" the woman sobbed. I felt sorry for her, but there was nothing I could do, not unless I wanted to end up like that woman's son. "But I promise you, before these celebrations are over you will share my tears! An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, a son for a son!"

"Seize her!" the king ordered. But the woman had come prepared. She grabbed her necklace, muttered an incantation and in a strong gust of wind she was gone. I was not so impressed now, revenge was never the right thing to do.

While everyone made their way back home, I was left looking around, trying to find the court physician. I walked up to a guard standing next to a small doorway to the side of the courtyard.

"Excuse me, could you tell me where I can find Gaius, the court physician?" I asked.

The man didn't answer, but pointed to the door he was guarding. I nodded in thanks and walked though it, following the arrows all the way up to a small wooded door.

I knocked on the door and looked inside. "Hello?" On the tables were all sort of herbs and concoctions. "Hello?" I asked again. No answer. I walked a little further in the room until I noticed him on a balcony, looking at a book. "Gaius?" I called out. He looked around, but lost his balance and fell through the wooden railing.

I acted on instinct alone, slowing down time with my magic. Looking around for something to catch his fall, I noticed his bed and moved it silently under him with just a look with my now golden eyes.

The old man landed safely, though his bed might need repairing. I sighed in relief, what an entrance I would've made if the court physician had broken his neck only seconds after I'd entered.

"What did you just do?" the man asked. He didn't sound angry per se, but he wasn't pleased either, though there was a note of curiosity in his tone.

"Euh… Euhm…" Panic was taking over now. I had only just seen a man being decapitated fot _thinking_ about using magic, what penalty would I face?

"Tell me!" Gaius demanded. I stuttered some more, before the man interrupted me again. "If anyone had seen that…"

"No! That was… That was nothing to do with me, I-"

"I know what it was, I just want to know where you learnt how to do it." The man said, the anger now almost completely gone.

"No, I-" I tried to explain again, but Gaius stopped me again.

"So how is it you know magic?" Curiosity and confusion were the only things in his voice now.

"I don't!" I argued, trying desperately to convince the man.

"Where did you study?" he asked gently now, noticing how upset I was getting. Unfortunately, he was a little impatient. "Answer me!" he shouted.

"I… I never… I never studied magic, or been taught." I answered quickly.

"Are you lying to me, girl?"

"What do you want me to say?" I asked, a bit desperately.

"The truth!" he said resolutely.

"I was born like this-"

"That's impossible!" I didn't know how to answer, so I kept my mouth shut, until the man realized he didn't know me. "Who are you?" he asked.

"Oh, euhm…" I took off my backpack and searched for my mother's letter and handed it over.

"I don't have my glasses." He said.

"I'm Merlynn." I smiled, glad the subject had changed.

"Hunith's daughter? But you're not meant to be here 'till Wednesday."

"It is Wednesday." I answered. I found it hard to believe this man used to be a friend of my father, and, even more unlikely, my uncle. Of course, I'd never known my father, but I always imagined him more… well, _more._

"Ah, right then, you better put your bags in there." He said, pointing at another small door in the room.

"You won't say anything about… Euhm…" I trailed off, looking at the broken balcony.

He shook his head. "No." Relief washed over me as I mad my way to the door. "Although, Merlynn? I should say thank you." I smiled, but didn't answer and went to put my things away.

I went over the events of the day while I put my clothes in the only cupboard. Even though I had never felt at home in Ealdor, this place was making me miss my home and my mother, and Will. I sighed as I thought about him. We had been seeing each other, stealing the occasional kiss when we knew no one was watching. How I missed his embrace now. We had agreed to become friends again, as I was moving to Camelot, and we wouldn't see each other anymore.

My head was pounding, so I decided to lie down, just for a little while. Before I knew it, I was fast asleep.

I woke up early the next day, to someone who was calling my name, though I sounded more like it was in my head than out of it. I shook it off as a remnant of the dream I had that night. It had been full of images, flashes of what had to be someone else's life.

I got dressed quickly, hearing Gaius prepare breakfast. Seeing as I hadn't eaten the previous night, I was starving.

"I got you water, you didn't wash last night." He said as I entered the room.

"Sorry," I'd been too tired and too preoccupied at the time.

"Help yourself to breakfast." He said.

I sat down and looked at the watery porridge I was supposed to eat. I considered skipping it and getting some food later, but my stomach didn't agree with that. Luckily for me it didn't taste as bad as it looked.

Gaius was walking around behind me when he suddenly pushed over the bucket of water that had been standing next to me. Acting on instinct again, I got up quickly and froze time around the water, causing it to stand still in mid air.

Gaius gasped and looked from me to the bucket, until I undid the enchantment and let the water fall.

"How did you do that?" he asked, much calmer now than he had been the day before. "Did you incant a spell in your mind?"

I shook my head hastily. "I don't know any spells."

"So what did you do? There must be something?" he was merely curious, I could tell, but it still made me feel uncomfortable.

"It just happened." I said, I couldn't explain it, I'd been like this ever since I was born.

Not knowing what to do with the silence that had just fallen, I got a mop and started to clean up the mess.

"Well, we better keep you out of trouble. You can help me until I've found some paid work for you. Here, these are medicines for Lady Percival and this is for Sir Olwin, he's as blind as a weevil, so warn him not to take it all at once."

I had stopped my mopping and took the vials from him. "Okay."

"And here." He handed me a plate with bread and meat. Not a lot of commoners could afford to buy meat. I smiled in gratitude, the feeling of uneasy from last night completely gone.

"Off you go." He dismissed me and took the mop from me. I walked cheerfully toward the door, until Gaius called me back.

"And Merlynn?" I turned around to face him. "I need hardly tell you that the practise of any form of enchantments will get you killed. I nodded gravely, remembering the terrified look on the executed man's face.

I encountered a few troubles on my 'mission'. Number one being finding the way, again I asked a guard. Number two was when I realized Sir Olwin must've been deaf as well as blind. When I wanted to warn him not to drink it all at once, he was already downing it.

I pulled the bottle from his hands. "Not all at once!" The man nodded and I handed over the vial again.

Number three, the most disastrous one: I was heading back to Gaius' chambers when I noticed a few men, probably nobility, picking on a servant.

"Where's the target?" the obvious leader asked of the man.

"It's over there, sir?" he answered, unsure of what the other meant.

"It's in the sun." the leader clarified.

"It's not that bright." The servant replied.

"A bit like you then?" the leader quipped. His friends laughed, but I was not amused. The poor man didn't even defend himself.

"I'll put it on the other end, now shall I sir?" the man offered.

The blonde leader just gave him a look, to which the servant put his basket away and carried the target to the other end of the range.

"This should teach him." I heard the leader tell his friends. He took one of his daggers and threw it at the shield, hitting it very near the middle. The servant stopped and looked at it.

"Hey! Hang on!" he exclaimed.

"Don't stop!" the blonde said, clearly enjoying himself. The servant composed himself and walked a little further. "Here?"

"I told you to keep moving!" the leader ordered, before throwing another dagger, this time hitting the bull's eye.

The servant had only been just in time to hold it in front of his face. He looked scared now.

"Come on! Run!" the nobleman said. He threw his next dagger while the poor man kept running. "We want some moving target practise." The leader joked, while his friends were laughing their asses off.

The servant kept running from side to side, until he stumbled and the shield came rolling in my direction.

I stopped it with my foot and looked at the leader. "Come on, that's enough." I said mildly.

"What?" the leader asked, as if offended by my simple question. _'Retarded as well as mean?'_ I wanted to say, but instead I went for the less offending: "You've had your fun, my friend"

"Do I know you?" the nobleman asked as he walked toward me. I tensed, but answered anyway.

"I don't think so."

"So I don't know you." _'Really? That's what I just said!'_ I thought.

"No." I replied.

"Yet you call me 'friend'?" I raised an eyebrow at that.

"That was my mistake, I suppose." I answered.

"Yes, I think so." he said, clearly thinking I was just going to let this go.

"Yeah, I'd never have a friend who could be such an ass." I quipped. Sometimes I really hated my temper.

I started to walk away when the blonde spoke again.

"Tell me, do you know how to walk on your knees?"

I should've seen this coming, and I should've just walked away, but I didn't. "No." I answered.

"Would you like me to help you?" the blonde said in a fake friendly voice.

"I wouldn't if I were you."

The man laughed at that. "Why? What are you going to do to me?"

"You have no idea."

"Be my guest." He challenged me and took a small step back.

"Come on!" He spread his arms as if to hug me.

He repeated himself another three times before I got sick of it and took my knife from between my skirts and pointed it at his throat, but he twisted my wrist and held it behind my back, forcing me to drop my weapon.

"I'll throw you in jail for that." He said smugly.

"Who do you think you are, the king?"

"No, I'm his son, Arthur." Just my luck. The one man I get into a fight with is the one with the authority to lock me up.

I was roughly escorted by two guards to my cell where I was to spend the night. I held my wrist, the prince had twisted it forcefully, and it hurt. But that was not the worst, the worst was that he had kept my knife, hanging it on his belt as I was dragged off.

My mother had told it had belonged to my father, though she had kept it safe until I left for Camelot. "You might need it." He had said.

I missed Ealdor more than ever now, being alone in this cold cell, so I closed my eyes and replayed one of my happiest moments there. In fact, it had not been too long before I left.

_I was sitting by the river's edge, a little way into the forest, when I heard a twig crack._

"_Who's there?" I called out, hoping it wasn't some kind of wild animal._

_Suddenly two hands covered my eyes. "Guess who?" A cheerful voice said in my ear._

"_Will! You scared me!" I complained. His hands left my eyes and my grinning boyfriend stepped into my sight._

"_I'll make it up to you. I've got a birthday present for you!"_

"_Will, you shouldn't have! You need the money!" I protested._

"_But I wanted to do this, I'd do anything for you. Besides, you mother and I coordinated. Close you eyes." He told me. I obliged and felt him putting something in my hand. When I opened my eyes, I couldn't believe what I saw. A carved wooden butterfly hung from a plain leather band._

"_I made the butterfly myself, and your mother paid for the leather string." Will explained as he hung it around my neck. His fingers trailed it to the edge of my shoulders before he gently pressed his lips to a tender spot at the base of my neck._

"_Will," I breathed, "what if someone sees us?" I turned around to see his beautiful smile and kind eyes staring into mine._

"_I love you so much." He whispered, pushing a stray lock out of my eyes._

"_I love you too." I whispered back._

"_Then marry me!" he said enthusiastically._

"_What?" I hadn't seen that coming._

"_If we love each other, then why not marry? You're sixteen, I'm seventeen, I can get a job as a carpenter in a bigger town, and you could weave, or be a maidservant… We could be happy!" He said it so convincingly, but I didn't know if was ready to be a wife yet. That and what my mother had asked of me the day before._

"_Will… I don't… I mean… I'm not ready for that… Can't we just be… for now?" I asked hopefully._

_He pulled me in for another sweet kiss. "Anything for you." He murmured against my lips._

It had only been the next day that I had had to break his heart and tell him my mother wanted me to move and live with my uncle in Camelot.

We didn't speak for two days until I was ready to leave. He came to me and asked me one last time to marry him. I said no, and he said we should go back to being friends. We hugged one last time and then I left.

I knew I wasn't safe in Ealdor anymore, people were starting to notice odd things happening when I was around, and it was only a matter of time before one of the villagers went to the authorities. But for my mother to send me _here_, right under the Uther's nose? The very person who would gladly kill him with his bare hands if he found out I had magic, my mother must've gone insane…

Putting that aside, I lay down and tried unsuccessfully to get a good night's rest. In my dreams a voice kept haunting me, a voice that came from within my head.

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**A/N: So, what did you think? I really need reviews to know what I'm doing wrong, so even if you hate it, tell my why.**

**On another note: not all chapters will be split like this and not all chapters will have flashbacks.**

**Review!**

**grtz**

**A-L  
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	2. The dragon's call  part 2

**A/N: Hey everyone! Wow, I only just put this on the site and I've already gotten a review and about 5 favourite stories and one story alert!^^ You guys Rock!**

**Note to my first reviewer, Kota:**

**Yes, I know the pairing is not what you'd find in your average femMerlin story, and I'm not sure I am going to change the pairing…**

**I really like femMerlin/Arthur, but I also like Gwen/Arthur, plus I don't want to be like all the other writers who can't stand A/M slash, so they make Merlin female, because they really think they should be together… It's all very confusing, so you and I are just going to have to see how things will play out.**

**I'm about to go to my exam, but I couldn't help myself, I really wanted to post this chappie, and I hope you'll like it. If there are any typos, remember; this is unbeta-ed. Enjoy!  
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**disclaimer: I don't own Merlin, only Merlynn ^^ Again, I apologise if I seem to have stolen parts of other stories (see chapter 1)  
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**2 The dragon's call – part two**

"Merlynn… Merlynn…" the voice I had heard earlier woke me. I got up quickly, but kept hearing the voice. This time, even though the voice still sounded in my head, I had a sense of direction. It came from underneath the cells.

"Merlynn!" A much more normal voice said. The cell door opened and Gaius walked in.

"You never cease to amaze me, the one thing that someone like you should do, is keep your head down. And what do you do? You behave like an idiot!" he lectured.

"I'm sorry." I replied.

"You're lucky. I managed to pull a few strings to get you released."

"Thank you! Thank you! I won't forget this." I couldn't spend another night in here, it made me miss home too much. Gaius didn't look impressed.

"There is a small price to pay." The man admitted.

I frowned but followed him out.

Not too much later, I was in the stocks, being pelted by the commoners.

Not that I minded, not at all actually, it gave me as well as the peasants and Gaius something to laugh at.

When they paused to get more rotten food, a pretty girl stopped by me.

"I'm Guinevere, but most people call me Gwen. I'm the Lady Morgana's maid."

"Right." I said. That must've been the woman I had seen looking out the window.

"I'm Merlynn, though most people just call me idiot." I joked and introduced myself. I tried my best to shake her hand, which wasn't an easy feat, seeing as I was tied up and all…

"No! No, no, I saw what you did. It was so brave."

"It was stupid." I countered.

"Well, it's great you stood up to them."

"You think so?"

"Arthur's a bully, and everyone thought you were a real hero."

"Really?" It felt good, knowing that people appreciated me, even though Gwen was the only one who had told me so far.

"You must meet the Lady Morgana, I told her what you did and she really wants to meet you."

"She does? Why would she care about a mere servant?" I asked curiously, most nobles didn't.

"She's not like that. She's been my friend ever since I started serving her, she cares about the people in this city."

I tried to nod, but the wood over my head got in the way. "Excuse me, Guinevere?" I had seen the peasants come back to pelt me again, and she was in their range. "My fans are waiting." I said, pointing at the group grabbing at the rotten tomatoes.

She smiled, waved and ran as fast as she could before the vegetables and fruits started to fly again.

Once I had been released and had washed, I went back Gaius' chambers and sat down at the table.

"Do you want some vegetables with that?" he joked and I smiled at him.

"I know you're still angry with me."

"Your mother asked me to look after you." He said, serious now. I nodded, thinking about her. She was probably worried sick right about now.

"What did your mother say to you about your gifts?" he asked curiously.

I thought for a moment. "That I was special." That was all she ever said.

"You are special, the likes of which I've never seen before."

"What do you mean?" I enquired.

"Well… Magic required incantations, spells, it takes years to study. What I saw you do was…elemental, instinctive."

"What's the point if it can't be used?"

"That, I do not know, you are a question that has never been posed before, Merlynn."

I pondered over that for a while. I was a question that had never been posed before? Was I really that different from other sorcerers? And how did Gaius know all this?

"Did you ever study magic?"

"Uther banned all such work twenty years ago."

"Why?" That question had been burning on my lips ever since I witnessed that man being executed.

"People used magic for the wrong end at that time. It threw the natural order into chaos. Uther made it his mission to destroy everything from back then, even the dragons."

"What, all of them?"

There was one dragon he choose not to kill. Kept it as an example. He imprisoned it in a cave, deep beneath the castle, where no one can free it… Now, eat up, when you finish, I need you to take a preparation to Lady Helen, she needs it for her voice."

I did as was asked of me and was soon on my way to the nobles' wing to deliver the potion. Though I couldn't stop thinking about what Gaius had said.

'_He imprisoned it in a cave, deep beneath the castle…'_

Could it have been the dragon that called me in my sleep?

When I entered the Lady Helen's room, no one was there, so I decided to put the vial on her vanity and leave it for her to find, but my eyes fell on a straw puppet. What would a professional singer do with such an item?

Next to it lay a book, half covered under a piece of cloth. When I touched it, a chill went down my back and the hairs on my arms stood up. Just as I was going to examine it further, the Lady erself walked in and asked: "What are you doing in here?"

"Euhm… I was… I was to deliver this." I explained, picking up the vial and handing it to her. She looked from the object to my face and smiled slightly, though it didn't reach her eyes.

I quickly got out of there and hurried back to Gaius' chambers. Unfortunately, I ran into prince Arthur again.

"How's your knee-walking coming along?" he asked tauntingly. I ignored him and kept going.

"Oh, don't run away!" He sounded like three-year-old talking to his favourite 'hitting' item. Did he really think that I was going to run away from _him_? I could make him crawl through the dust if I wanted to.

I stopped and replied: "From you?"

"Oh, thank god, I thought you were deaf as well as dumb."

"Look, I've told you you're an ass, I just didn't realize you're a royal one." Damn my sharp tongue!

"Oh, what are you going to do? Did you get your daddy's men to protect you?" _'Damn it, Merlynn, can it, your wrist still hasn't healed fully!'_ I thought to myself.

The prince just laughed. "I could take you apart with one blow." He stated.

"I could take you apart with less then that." I replied honestly. _'Seriously Merlynn? You want him to figure out you're a sorceress and burn you to the stake?'_

"You sure?" the prince asked. I just stood there, setting my jaw defiantly. The prince burst out laughing, along with his men.

He threw a mace at me. "Here you go, girl." I dropped it immediately, I'd rather fight with a dagger or knife.

"I don't fight with maces. And I think that you do because they represent the balls you don't have." The crowd that had formed around us cheered.

Arthur just raised his eyebrows. "You know, for a girl so small, you use big words." Again the crows cheered.

I just stared at him angrily.

"Well, I'm not going to fight someone without a weapon." He said.

"Why? Are you a chicken?" The crowd laughed at this, probably imagining their prince clucking like a hen.

The prince waved his weapon. "Come on then."

"I warn you: I've been trained to kill since birth." He continued swinging that ridiculous excuse for a weapon.

"Wow, and how long have you been training to be a prat?" I asked sarcastically.

This time Arthur actually paused in his swinging. "You can't address me like that."

"Sorry… How long have you been training to be a prat, _my lord_?"

The prince smiled for a second before unexpectedly swinging his mace. If I hadn't had such quick reflexes, I would've been decapitated.

I ducked as he tried to hit me again and jumped backwards. A fight ensued in which I kept cheating, using my magic to make him trip, or, nearing the end of our fight, make sure his mace got stuck.

In the end Gaius, being one of the spectators, distracted me and gave the prince the opportunity to take a broom and knock me to the ground.

The guards picked me up, but Arthur stopped them before they could drag me off to the cells again.

"Wait, let her go. She may be an idiot, but she's a brave one. What's your name?" he asked.

"Merlynn."

"Well, there's something about you Merlynn, I can't quite put my finger on it." The prince started to walk away, but I stopped him.

"There's something about you too sire, and I _can_ put my finger on it. You still have my knife." I glared at him, my teeth clenched.

"That's right…" He pulled the blade out of his belt and handed it to me.

"Why would a girl like you be carrying around a weapon as beautiful as this?" he asked, not letting go of the blade when I tried to take it from his hands.

"It was my father's." I replied and he let go of the weapon. Because my sleeves had been pulled up in the fight, the ugly bruise on my wrist was clearly visible.

"What happened?" I was glad most of the people had gone their own way, even the guards and knights had left, only Gaius still stood there.

"_You_ gave it to me when you twisted my wrist yesterday." I said with as much venom as I could muster before storming off, followed by my guardian.

"How could you be so foolish?" Gaius raged once we had entered his quarters.

"He needed to be taught a lesson." I replied.

"Magic must be studied, mastered, and used for good, not for idiotic pranks."

"What is there to master? I could move objects like that before I could talk!"

"Then by now you should know how to control yourself!" Something snapped, I had taken one blow too many that day.

"I don't want to control myself!" I screamed. "If I can't use magic, what have I got?"

Gaius didn't answer. "I'm just a nobody, and I always will be. If I can't use magic, I might as well die." I said, and with that I turned and went into my room.

Gaius came into my room a few minutes later. I had curled up into a tight ball and let a few tears slip from between my closed eyes.

"Merlynn? Sit up and your arms." Reluctantly, but obediently, I sat up on the edge of my bed and pulled my sleeves up as far as they would go. I had wounds on my back too, but for now, I was still a little too uncomfortable around him to let him treat those.

He got some vials and little pots from his bag and started treating my cuts and bruises. "You don't know why I was born like this, do you?" I asked quietly.

"No." He replied honestly.

"I'm not a monster, am I?" I said with a hint of humour, but also fear.

He turned my head so I was facing him. "Don't ever think that." She ordered gently.

"Then why am I like this? Please, I need to know… Why?" I asked, all humour gone.

"Maybe there's someone with more knowledge than me." He gave the exact answer I didn't want to hear.

"If you can't tell me, no one can."

Gaius couldn't reply to that and I knew it. He settled with treating my wounds again. "Take this, it will help with the pain." He gave me a potion, which I downed immediately. "Maybe you know of someone who can rub this on the wounds on you back?" he asked gently, handing me an ointment of some kind. I nodded while he got his things together and quietly left the room.

I pulled my sleeves back down and noticed how full of holes they were. Groaning, I realised I was going to have to repair them. I changed into my nightclothes and pulled out the sowing kit my mother had given me, starting to work on one of the only two dresses I owned.

I woke to the sound of that voice calling my name again. This time, I was prepared. I got out of bed, put on my newly fixed dress and made my way to the dungeons. When I passed Gaius, I used my magic to pull his blanket back over him and continued on my way again.

The voice led me to where I had to be, the deepest part of the dungeons, and through a wooden door. I distracted the guards by making their dice roll away on their own every time they wanted to pick them up.

When they were far enough away, I took a torch and descended a lot of stairs before I came into a large cavern. I couldn't see very much, but luckily, a bit of natural light fell in from what I supposed were splits in the rock.

The voice laughed now.

"Where are you?" I asked into the dark. Suddenly, a dragon flew over and landed on the ston in front of me. "I am here." It spoke.

I took a few steps back, not really believing my eyes. "How small you are, for such a great destiny. Small, even by human standards." He joked. I assumed he was a he, because his voice sounded like it.

"Why? What do you mean? What destiny?" I asked. I could feel hope rising inside myself. Maybe I _had_ gotten this power for a reason, maybe I was born with a destiny.

"Your gifts, Merlynn, were given to you for a reason."

"So there _is_ a reason?" I breathed.

"Arthur is the Once And Future King who will unite the land of Albion." The dragon continued.

"Right." I said, not really getting the point.

"But he faces many threats, from friend and foe alike."

"I don't see what this has to do with me?"

"Everything. Without you, Arthur will never succeed. Without you, there will be no Albion." He explained.

"No… No, you've got this wrong." I protested.

"There is no right or wrong," the dragon said, as if a teacher would talk to his pupil, "only what is, and what isn't."

"I'm serious! If anyone wants to go and kill him, they can go ahead. In fact, I'll give them a hand."

The dragon chuckled at my words. "None of us cane choose our destiny, Merlynn. And none of us can escape it."

No, no way. No," I shook my head, denying it as the seriousness of the dragon's words sunk in, "there must be another Arthur, because this one is an idiot."

"Perhaps it's your destiny to change that?" he suggested. Changing Arthur from an idiotic buffoon to a king? No way, not a chance, no one can do that!

"As for your other destiny, well… you'll just have to figure that one out yourself…"

The dragon took flight again, his chains rattling loudly.

"Wait! Wait, stop, I need to know more!" I protested, but the dragon either couldn't hear me, or decided to ignore me. Either way, I wasn't going to get anymore answers from him. I sighed and returned to my room, trying to get another few hours of sleep in before Gaius would wake me.

"Oi! Have you seen the state of this room?"

I dragged open my eyes and noticed the mess in the room. I shrugged. "It just happens?" I suggested weakly.

"By magic?"

"Yeah-"

"Yes, well, than you can clear it out _without_ magic. Then I want you to get me some herbs," he summed them up, but I wasn't really listening, "and deliver this to Morgana, the poor girl is suffering from nightmares." _'Yeah, well I'm suffering from one right now,'_ I thought dryly as I looked around the room.

I quickly stashed some clothes and books in my cupboard and made my way to the nobles' wing to deliver the medicine for Lady Morgana.

The door was open, so I just walked in. The lady, obviously expecting someone else started talking about Arthur. "Pass me that dress, will you Gwen?" she asked.

"I'm not Gwen." I replied.

Morgana's head appeared around the screen again. "Who are you? And what are you doing in my quarters?" Luckily, she didn't sound angry.

"My name's Merlynn, Gaius asked me to bring you this for your nightmares." I showed her the bottle.

"Ow… Put it on the table. Would you mind helping me? Gwen's not here, so…" she trailed off.

"Euhm… Sure, I think I can spare a minute." I answered and handed her the dress which I fastened when she required me to.

"Gwen told me what you did. I think it's amazing someone finally stood up to Arthur, twice now, I heard." She said while I worked on her corset.

"Yeah, well, he's a prat and needed to be taught a lesson." I replied, again not watching my tongue.

The Lady actually chuckled at that. "I love Arthur like a brother, but his head has gotten much too big."

"He should watch out, he might not be able to get his helmet back on." I quipped, to which Morgana laughed. Gwen walked in smiling when she heard her friend laugh.

"I see you've met?" she asked with a smile, but then her eyes fell on Morgana's dress.

"Either I wear this little tease, or give them a night they'll really remember. What do you girls think?" The Lady asked.

"I think they both look beautiful, my lady." Gwen replied, faithful servant as always.

"And what do you think, Merlynn?"

"I think you should have your revenge as well, my lady. Wear the red dress, make sure all eyes are on you, and then flirt with every man in the room but Arthur. You're sure to get him jealous." I replied with a smirk.

Morgana smiled brightly. "You're absolutely right, besides, Arthur, jealous? I would pay to see that."

All of us shared a laugh, before Gwen asked me the question I really hadn't wanted her to ask. "So, will you be attending the feast tonight?"

"Euhm… I thought about skipping it…"

"Why?" Morgana asked, a little put out.

"I don't have anything to wear, only this old thing." I gestured to the dress I was currently wearing.

"Oh no, that won't do." Morgana tsk-ed. "I think I have a dress I outgrew a while ago. Gwen, do you know where it is? The azure one?"

Gwen hurried over to Morgana's extensive wardrobe and searched until she found it hanging in the back. "Here it is!" she announced cheerfully. "It would really match your eyes!" she commented as she hung it over the dress screen.

"Oh, I couldn't. My lady, such an expensive gown, I could never wear that, much less to a feast!" I protested.

"I will have none of that. You can and you will. And so will you, Gwen. You will be my personal guests tonight." Morgana spoke decisively. "Or, at least until the banquet begins, I still need someone to wait on me and I'm sure Gaius will require you for _something_…" she added.

Gwen and I laughed, accepting the offer. We stayed in the ladies room, preparing for the feast, and having a great time. I completely forgot about the herbs I was supposed to pick.

Gwen helped me out of my dress and saw my wounds. "My God, Merlynn! What did you do?" she asked, clearly disturbed. Morgana came over to see what Gwen was talking about.

"I got into a fight with Arthur again… That reminds me, would you mind rubbing this ointment over it please? I can't reach them." I asked, getting the little pot from one of the pockets in my skirts. Gwen obliged and soon, I couldn't feel a thing and the whole thing was forgotten. The dress fitted perfectly, as did Gwen's plainer yellow one.

The maidservant and I worked tirelessly to make sure Morgana would be the centre of attention tonight.

When we entered the ball room, all eyes were on us, or rather, on Morgana. She strode gracefully toward some noblemen she knew and Gwen and I stayed a little while away.

"God have mercy." Arthur said when he noticed Morgana. A small smile graced my lips, my plan was working perfectly. But then something happened I hadn't foreseen: Arthur glanced at me. He was supposed to be staring a Morgana all evening, but instead he was now looking at me with a small frown on his face.

I blushed deeply, but listened to Gwen when she commented on how Morgana looked.

"Yeah, she looks beautiful." I agreed, returning the smile the Lady had just thrown her.

"Some people are just born to be queen."

"Yeah… wait, no." Anyone with a good head on her shoulders and a kind heart could be queen. Hell, even _I_ could!

"I hope so, one day… Not that I'd want to be her. Who'd want to marry Arthur?"

I felt a frown creep onto my face. "Surely he has to have some good qualities?"

"Well, he's a great warrior, and when he's not being a bully, he does care about the people, he just needs to grow up, I think."

"You're right, he needs to realize that a title isn't everything. Even if he's the greatest warrior alive, he can't face a hundred men alone. Maybe if someone were to show him the way… Show his there's more to life then just… this." I said, gesturing around the room.

Gwen gave an amused snort and walked away to pour some more wine in her master's goblet.

I went to Gaius, and just as I had expected he gave me one look over and then started lecturing me. "Where were you? You didn't pick the herbs I sent you out for, and couldn't you at least have left a note?"

"I was helping Gwen attend to the Lady Morgana. The Lady insisted I stayed. Next time, I'll be sure to send a message."

Gaius sighed and decided to stop bothering me about it. "You look nice, Merlynn." He said before the trumpets sounded to signal the arrival of the King.

"We have enjoyed twenty years of peace and prosperity." The King started his speech, so I tuned out, watching the people in the hall from my position at the front. I watched Arthur intently. He _had_ stared at Morgana, as I knew he would, but not as _long_ as I thought. On the other hand, he probably had the attention span of a seven-year-old, so it shouldn't have surprised me.

Suddenly, he glanced at me, and he had noticed me staring at him. Quickly, I turned my attention back to the King. "…Lady Helen!" he announced.

The music started, and I allowed myself one more sneak peak in Arthur's direction from the corner of my eye, but he was already looking forward.

Lady Helen began to sing, and it truly was the most beautiful thin I had ever heard. The music enchanted those that listened to it.

Apparently, that could be taken literally, because everyone was falling asleep, and cobwebs started to appear on them, making it seem as though they had been sleeping there for ages in stead of seconds.

I quickly covered my ears, not wanting to be affected as well. Lady Helen strode forward. I couldn't think of anything to do as all the candles were blow out and even the King, Arthur and Morgana had fallen asleep.

It became painfully clear that she was after Arthur as she pulled a dagger from her sleeve, not looking away from her target. The dragon's words sounded in my head.

"_Without you, Arthur will never succeed. Without you, there will be no Albion."_

I noticed she was standing directly under the chandelier, so I used my powers to make it fall and crush the woman.

Everyone woke up and, looking at Lady Helen again, they all saw that she wasn't really Lady Helen. The old crone from the courtyard lay there. Ina last attempt to reach her goal, the crone lifted her dagger and threw it at the prince.

Too stunned to do anything, he just stood there. _'Idiot'_

I slowed down time as much as I dared in such a crowded place and ran toward Arthur, pulling him away just in time. Unfortunately, he had landed on me.

Arthur got up, and helped me do the same as the crone blew out her last breath.

"You saved my boy's life. A dept must be repaid." The King stated.

"Well… Euhm, I…" I stuttered.

"Don't be so modest, you shall be rewarded."

"No, honestly, you don't have to your Highness." I said, avoiding eye contact, especially with the prince.

"No, absolutely, this merits something quite special." From behind the King, Morgana smiled at me.

"Well…" I said stupidly.

"You shall be rewarded a position in the royal household. You shall be prince Arthur's maidservant." He concluded and walked away. "Father!" Arthur complained, but was unheard except by me because of the applause that had ensued.

Later that night, back in my room, I sat staring at a candle when Gaius walked in.

"Seems you are a hero." He said.

"Hard to believe, isn't it?" I joked.

"No," Gaius assured me, I knew it from the moment I met you. You saved my life, remember?"

"But… That was magic." I replied.

Gaius nodded. "And now it seems we've finally found a use for it."

"What do you mean?"

"I saw how you saved Arthur's life." _'Oh, no, not him as well!'_

"Perhaps that's its purpose." I sighed, resigned. I knew I couldn't win from a dragon _and_ Gaius.

"My destiny." I said sourly, though I couldn't deny it felt good to have a reason, a purpose.

"Indeed… This book was given to me when I was your age, but I have a feeling it will be of more use to you than it was to me." He handed me a velvet-covered book, which I opened to reveal a beautiful wood covered book. I opened the latches curiously, and opened it on a random page in the middle.

"But this is a book of magic?" I asked, not in the least unhappy about it.

"Which is why you must keep it hidden." He replied.

"I will study every word." I said gratefully. I put the book on the table next to me and hugged my guardian. "Thank you." I whispered.

He patted my back affectionately and let go.

A knock came to the front door. "Merlynn? Prince Arthur wants you right away!" A guard's voice sounded.

"You destiny's calling. You'd better find out what he wants" I nodded and placed the book under my bed, I'd find a better hiding spot later.

Grinning one last time at Gaius, I went to see what the prince wanted.

* * *

**A/N: So tell me what you think, I need to know. So far I've just been 'copying' what happens in the show, but I intend on adding a short miniepisode in between this one and the next.  
**

**Review! I could do with some advice ^^**

**P.S.: How'd you like the Arthur/Merlynn fight? It was great to write! LOL =)**

**grtz,**

**Anne-Lilian  
**


	3. Valiant part 1

**A/N: Okay, I know I said I'd add a mep (mini-episode) But I decided against it and simply worked it in this chapter. This chappie is not as long as the last one, but still, nearly 4000 words per chapter is pretty good, don't ya think?**

**disclaimer: I**** don't own Merlin, only Merlynn ^^ Again, I apologise if I seem to have stolen parts of other stories (see chapter 1)**

**R&R! but most importantly: enjoy!  
**

**3 Valiant (part 1)**

Arthur had requested that I 'helped' him train for the tournament this morning, which basically meant I had to wriggle into some much too big armour and let him hit me with a sword.

"Body! Shield! Shield! Body! Shield!" He said whenever he hit me.

"Head!"

"Head?" I exclaimed in surprise before he hit my helmet with the but of his sword. I saw stars for a second, but shook my head and went on.

"Come on Merlynn, you're not even trying!" he complained.

"I am!" I said, walking a little while away, only to get the flat of Arthur's sword against the back of my knees.

"Left! Right! Left! Head!" He yelled once I had turned around.

I was getting dizzy now, but managed to stay on my feet.

"Come on, Merlynn, I've got a tournament to win!"

"Can we stop now, please?" I asked as polite as I could manage.

Arthur replied by holding up his sword again, ready to strike. He pulled some fancy moves and within the minute I was on the ground, my helmet fallen off.

"You're braver than you look, most servants collapse after the first blow." He commented, standing over me.

"Most servants haven't had the practise I had." I mumbled under my breath.

"What was that?" he asked.

"Nothing, is it over now?"

"That was just the warm up. How's your mace work coming along?" He asked, swinging the thing over his head.

I licked my lips, tasting blood, and that made something snap. I got up as quickly as that blasted armour allowed and yelled at him.

"I'm not one of your knights! And I'm not a practise dummy! I _do_ feel pain, and I'm not trained to withstand it, like you are! Next time you want to kill something, go for a hunt!" I screamed and ran off, leaving a very put out Arthur still standing there.

Somewhere in the back of my mind, I did realize I shouldn't have done that, but I couldn't stop myself, it was just who I was.

Still, I stopped, counted to ten and turned around, calmed down enough to 'help' Arthur with his training again.

* * *

Later that night, I trudged up to the castle, aching all over. Arthur hadn't been pleased about my lashing out.

"Hello Merlynn!" Gwen greeted me cheerfully once I reached the castle. "What happened to your lip?"

"Nothing, can you help me out of this armour?" I asked the girl.

"Of course, Arthur didn't hurt you did he?" she asked, a concerned frown on her face as she followed me through the hallways back to the armoury.

"No, he's just under the impression I'm a bloke, is all. He can be so pigheaded sometimes!"

Gwen laughed as we entered the cold armoury. It didn't take long for Gwen to get me out of that horrid thing, leaving me standing there in a shirt and breeches.

"Didn't you take any clothes with you?" Gwen enquired.

"Yes, they're in a leather bag over there, can you get them?" Gwen obliged and I quickly got dressed in my brown dress this time.

"Come on, I'll walk you to your room." Gwen said.

We talked on the way, mostly about family and work. Gwen had gotten the day off because Morgana was socialising with the other ladies in the castle. She asked me about Ealdor, I told her about Will and my mother and how I had never known my father.

"If you really want to know… I only have my mother, I never knew my father. From what my mother has told me, I gathered that he was running from something, and just happened to fall in love with my mother. When he had to leave she didn't know she was pregnant yet… Other than her, there's only Will…" I blushed deeply.

"Who is he?" Gwen asked, a teasing smile gracing her lips.

"He is… _was_ my boyfriend."

"Was?" the girl questioned.

"It's complicated… We were together for about a year, when… when he asked me to marry him…" I confessed.

"Why didn't you accept? Didn't you love him?"

"That's not it, I really do him, even now… There were a few reasons, I'd only just turned sixteen. I felt I was too young, and besides that, I was moving away to Camelot, and he couldn't follow… I really miss him though." I admitted, my eyes watering a bit.

Gwen kindly put an arm around my shoulder. "It may not seem like it now, but the pain _will_ go away, and you _will_ survive. I did when I had to get over my first love." She offered.

"Well, tell me about _your_ family then." I changed the subject.

She told me about her rogue brother, her father and how her mother had died a long time ago as well.

We arrived at Gaius' chambers, where Gwen left me, saying she had some chores to finish.

I could see Gaius had some trouble keeping the smile off his face when he said: "So, how was your first day as Arthur's servant?"

I shook my head to clear it. "Do you hear clanging?" I asked to prove my point.

I sat down gingerly and let Gaius rub my knotted shoulders. "It was horrible, and I shouted at him again. And I still have to learn all about tournament etiquette by the morning!" I complained to him.

I whispered a spell to get a book about said etiquette to come to me for which Gaius gently slapped my head. "Oi! What have I told you about using magic like this?"

"If could actually feel my arms, I'd pick up the book myself!"

"Never mind your arms, what would I do if you got caught?"

"What would you do?" I asked curiously.

He paused before answering: "Well, you just make sure it doesn't happen for both our sakes." He took my arm in his hands and stretched it backwards.

I groaned slightly in pain. "I save Arthur from being killed and end up as a servant, how is that fair?"

"I'm not sure where fairness comes into it. You never know, it might be fun." He tried to cheer me up.

I snorted very un-ladylike. "You think mucking out Arthur's horses is going to be fun? You should hear my list of duties. I really envy Gwen at times, at least Morgana gives her the morning off sometimes…"

Gaius moved to my other arm. "We all have our duties, even Arthur."

"Must be so tough for him… all the girls and the glory."

"He is a future king, people expect so much of him. He's under a lot of pressure."

I heard a snap coming from my shoulder. "Aw! That makes two of us!" I said sarcastically.

* * *

Next morning, I decided to look for professional help with the armour.

"So, you've got vambraces on the arms." Gwen explained, fastening the laces. The blacksmith's daughter figured the fastest way for me to learn was to have them on myself… "The avantale goes over your chest." She continued, laying her hands over the metal plate to emphasize her point. Then she walked over to where the rest of the armour lay, on the table in her small house, and picked up the helmet. **(1)**

"I guess you know what to do with the helmet?" she teased.

"Yeah, it isn't that hard to figure out." I replied with a smile and put the helmet on my head.

"Thanks a load for your help, Gwen, Arthur would kill me if I get this wrong… or at least put me in the stocks again."

The girl smiled and helped me out of the gear again. Once that was out of the way, I went to find a certain prince to put it on.

Putting the armour on someone else proved to be much more difficult than having Gwen put them on me though, so as I struggled with his wrist pieces, he said: "You do know the tournament starts today?"

"I'm new at this, give me a moment." I said, completely focussing on the job. I did notice the lack of venom in his voice though. _'Must be the nerves'_

I checked all the laces once more and asked whether he was nervous.

"I don't get nervous." He replied, obviously lying.

"Really?" I asked sarcastically and decided to rile him up a little. "I thought everyone got nervous?"

"Will you shut up?" he yelled. I smirked while adjusting his backplate, so he wouldn't see. When I managed to wipe the grin off my face, I took his long, red cape and put it over his shoulders. His helmet pushed in his arms, I surveyed my handiwork.

"Great! I think you're all set." I said with a polite smile.

"Aren't you forgetting something?" he asked.

I frowned and thought. Breastplate, backplate, vambraces… no everything was there.

"My sword." Arthur supplied, clearly annoyed.

"Right… Are you sure you need that? You might hurt someone." I got his weapon out of the rack anyway and handed it to him. "I'm sorry."

"If I don't have my sword _I'm_ going to get hurt!" he shouted.

"Yes, and that would be _such_ a shame." I muttered sarcastically.

He just sighed and walked off. "That went well." I said to no one in particular.

Uther made some speech I wasn't listening to while I studied the knights. Arthur's face looked slightly grim, but determined nonetheless.

Arthur duels first, and the idiot didn't even put on the hood of his chainmail. I caught Gwen and Morgana's eyes and smiled.

'Good job.' Gwen mouthed.

The fight was spectacular and soon I got so caught up in it that I shouted: "Come on, Arthur!"

For a second it seemed as if the other knight was going to hit the prince, but Arthur jumped back and got the upper hand again. In a series of impressive moves, Arthur knocked the helmet off the other knight's head, claiming victory.

I cheered right along with all the other spectators.

Next up was a knight named Valiant who defeated his opponent easily. He was quickly becoming a favourite with people gossiping who would be better, Arthur or Valiant?

Arthur and Valiant kept winning all their matches, and I could see a gleam in Morgana's eyes that said she saw something she liked.

When the last match was over I commented to Arthur: "Valiant seems pretty handy with the sword."

The knight in question walked over congratulated Arthur on his victories of that day. Arthur did the same and Valiant said he hoped to see him at the reception that evening.

"Creep." I muttered under my breath when he was too far to hear, but I think Arthur caught that. He looked at me with a slightly amused smile on his face.

"What?" I asked.

"For tomorrow you need to repair my shield, wash my tunic, clean my boots, sharpen my sword an polish my chainmail." He ordered.

"I'll have to work through the night!" I complained, but Arthur couldn't care less.

"Then get started, Merlynn." He said and walked away.

"Prat."

* * *

Naturally, I wasn't going to do it all by hand, not when I had so much work to do, so I 'practised' some spells from my spell book and made the chores do themselves.

As was typical, Gaius walked in while I was studying the spell book, and caused me to halt all the enchantments placed on Arthur's armour. They clanged to the ground.

"Are you using magic again?" he asked sternly.

"No." I denied, though it didn't really sound convincing.

"What's all this then?"

I shook my head and pursed my lips as if to say "No idea."

Gaius sighed deeply. "I just came to tell you supper is ready."

* * *

At the reception that evening, Valiant and Morgana were obviously flirting and Arthur was annoyed with it. When Morgana asked if he was jealous, and Arthur denied it, if whispered to him: "You are _so_ jealous." **(2)**

Luckily Morgana and Gwen were out of hearing range. "I am _not_ jealous. Why would I be?" he snapped.

"Simple, you're the king's son. You're used to being the best, and getting all the attention, I'm not saying you have feelings for Morgana per se, but she and your father are giving another knight all the attention, and it irks you."

"It doesn't _irk_ me, and since when are you such an expert on how I feel?"

"So I'm right?" I wanted to say more, but was interrupted as knight Valiant made his way to us.

"Prince Arthur, glad to see you're here." He said.

"Why wouldn't I be?"

Valiant just smiled and then noticed me. "And who is this lovely lady?" he asked.

"This is my maidservant, Merlynn." Arthur replied with a slight frown

The other knight kept looking me up and down. I made a disgusted face at him, turned and walked away. I could only just hear a part of the conversation.

"You let your servant act like that?" Valiant asked, though he didn't really sound angry.

"Act like what?" Arthur asked innocently.

* * *

Back in my room, I continued to work on Arthur's armour, magically, since Gaius had already gone to sleep.

My thoughts drifted back to the tournament. Arthur was good, very good. He was definitely going to make the finals. But then, so was Valiant…

Something about the knight made me shiver. I toyed with my braid, as I always did when something was bothering me, but I couldn't quite put my finger on it, to quote Arthur.

Deciding to let it go and get a good night's sleep, I finished my chores magically and blew out the candles.

* * *

Next morning, while I was in the armoury getting Arthur's armour, I heard a hissing noise.

"Hello?" I called, but no one answered. I heard the sound again and followed it.

"Is someone there?" I asked again.

The sound was getting louder, but it seemed to be coming from Sir Valiant's shield. I crouched to inspect it, and I could've sworn one of the snakes blinked at me.

Suddenly, a sword appeared at my throat. I rose slowly.

"Are you looking for something, girl?"

"Nope, I'm good. I was just going over my master's armour…"

He lowered his sword and quickly glanced behind him, to check if the door was closed. And sheathed his weapon.

"You shouldn't stick you nose in other people's busyness, Mary, was it?"

"Merlynn." I corrected him.

He stepped closer. "My, you really are not so bad for a servant girl…"

"I don't know what you are talking about." Unfortunately he did. He was looking me up and down again, and I searched my memory for a useful spell.

His hands gripped my upper arms, and I struggled to get away. "The more you struggle, the more it will hurt! And if you dare to scream, your throat will be cut before you can even say 'Camelot'"

One of his hands went down to hitch up my skirts, while the other took a hold of my throat. My skin crawled as his hands trailed over my leg, up to my privates.

Luckily, he didn't get that far, because Gwen chose that moment to enter.

"Merlynn, I… What's going on?" she asked suspiciously. Her hand moved toward the rack of swords to her right.

"Nothing, servant, leave!" Valiant ordered.

Gwen took hold of one of the swords. "I won't leave without my friend." She said, her jaw set with determination.

The knight laughed and let my skirts drop, though his other hand stayed on my neck. "What are you going to do? Use that?" he asked mockingly. Obviously, he didn't know she was a blacksmiths daughter and knew her way around the sword.

Valiant drew his own sword with his free hand and turned completely toward Gwen. Instinctively, I made a random helmet fly against the knight's head. He fell to the ground, unconscious.

Gwen stared at me in shock, dropping the sword she'd been holding. "You're a sorceress?" she breathed. **(3)**

"Yes, but Gwen, you have to believe me, I'm not evil!"

Gwen shook her head, and ran out.

"Gwen!" But she couldn't hear me anymore. I sighed and collected Arthur's armour. This was going to be a long day.

* * *

"You did all this on your own?" Arthur asked, a hint of surprise in his tone.

"Yes, sire." I answered, a little smug. If only he knew _how_ I'd done it…

"Well, let's see if you can get me into it without forgetting anything."

I got him ready in record time. This time I didn't fumble with the fastings and I didn't forget his sword.

"That was much better… Not that I could get any worse." He said, making up for his almost-compliment.

I shrugged. "I'm a fast learner." I couldn't keep the grin off my face.

"I hope for your sake that's true."

"Good luck, sire." I didn't know what compelled me to say those three words, but it felt like the right thing to do. After all, Arthur may be a prat and he may be arrogant, he's still only human, and if he could be semi-nice, than so could I.

He nodded in acceptance and strode out the room.

I followed his to the edge of the arena and smiled as the people cheered for their prince.

"Is it my imagination, or are you beginning to enjoy yourself?" Gaius had appeared at my side to tend to the wounded when the battle was over.

"No, you must be delirious, are you sure you not sick?" I joked. "I guess… It's not _totally_ horrible, _all_ the time."

Gaius smiled at me and we directed our attention back to the arena.

Arthur was doing well, as he had been all the tournament. There was something about watching the young prince fight that was almost entrancing. He was elegant, but still forceful with his blows, he was calculated and quick on his feet, even when he'd have gotten a beating. That was probably why he would always be a champion, at least in the public's eyes.

Arthur swiftly defeated the other knight, and Valiant was up next. I swallowed hard, I still hadn't told Gaius or anyone else and he made me expose myself to Gwen.

The girl was sitting next to Morgana as usual and kept glancing at me, but, noticing Morgana's relaxed face, I guessed Gwen hadn't told her.

Valiant was fighting Sir Ewan, a very capable knight, who was defeating him, until Valiant knocked him to the ground. A second passed, and then Valiant got up, hit Sir Ewan one last time and claimed victory. When Ewan didn't get up, Gaius rushed forward to tend to him, while I made my way to Arthur. **(4)**

"I think he's badly hurt, he's not getting up." I said, concerned.

* * *

When I arrived at Gaius' chambers, Sir Ewan didn't look so good. "How is he?" I asked.

"It's most odd, look here," he said and I bent over the wounded knight, "see these two small wounds? It looks like a snakebite."

"How could he have been bitten by a snake? He was injured during the fight."

"The symptoms are consistent with poisoning; slow pulse, fever, paralysis…"

"You can heal him, can't you?" I asked.

"If it is a snakebite, than I'd have to extract venom from the snake that bit him to make an antidote."

"What happens if he doesn't get the antidote?" I asked, fearing the answer.

"I'm afraid there's nothing more I can do for him, he's going to die." Gaius sat back down next to his patient and tried to control his fever by dabbing a cloth over his brow.

"He was fighting knight Valiant." I stated more to myself than to the physician.

"What was that?" he asked.

"Nothing." I had suddenly remembered Valiant's shield, the snake that had winked at me.

* * *

I hid behind a pillar as Valiant returned his shield to the armoury. I pushed the door open a little while and saw how the snakes came to life. Valiant fed them a life mouse.

I felt sick and started to run away, but in my haste, I knocked something over.

Valiant took his sword and followed the noise. I hid behind a pillar, hoping he wouldn't see me. I could hear his footsteps and moved to the next side of the pillar, moving back once his footsteps moved away.

* * *

"I've just seen one of the snakes on Valiant's shield come alive. He's using magic." I said once I'd entered Gaius' chambers again.

"Are you sure?" Gaius asked.

"The snake ate a mouse, one swallow, it went straight down." I said, feeling sick again.

"Sir Ewan was fighting Valiant when he collapsed. It must've been one of the snakes from the shield… I have to tell Arthur." He would know what to do.

"Is there any chance you could be mistaken?" Gaius asked.

"Gaius, I know magic when I see it."

"Perhaps, but do you have any proof?"

"Don't you believe me?" he _had_ to believe me, he was the only one I could trust!

"I fear you'll land yourself in trouble… How would you explain why you were in Valiant's chambers?"

"What does that matter?" The only thing that mattered right now was that Valiant was stopped, before he killed Arthur.

"He's using magic to cheat in the tournament!" I continued.

"You can't go accusing a knight of using magic without proof. The king would never accept the word of a servant over that of a knight."

"Oh, so what I say doesn't count for anything?" I said, a little angry.

"I'm afraid it counts for very little as far as the king is concerned, that's the way it is." He explained.

I saw the truth in his eyes, but couldn't help feeling hurt.

* * *

**A/N: I've got a few things to say:**

**1. I couldn't understand what Gwen said about the armour, so I looked it up on the internet and just put two other names there, feel free to correct me if I got it wrong.**

**2. I know Merlin isn't at the reception at the end of 'day one', but I just felt like it, and besides, Gwen got to go!**

**3. I decided Gwen should really know about Merlynn, they are best friends after all, but will Gwen ever truly trust Merlynn again?**

**4. Couldn't quite understand the name... If any of you know, tell me.**

**5. Review!**

**+ I only just realized Gaius is Hunith's brother (curtsy to wikipedia), so whenever Merlynn mentions her uncle, she's talking about Gaius. And of course to my lovely fifth reviewer, Maria: thank you for pointing out the knight's name, I hadn't noticed it, but I changed it, better? ^^  
**


	4. Valiant part 2

**A/N: Hi! I think I did this in a reasonable amount of time, though I did suffer from writers block for a little while... I wanna thank all my reviewers: Moonlightwastaken., Maria, BlackWolf2013, Morganaforever and Kota**.

**disclaimer:**** I don't own Merlin, only Merlynn ^^ Again, I apologise if I seem to have stolen parts of other stories (see chapter 1)**

**enjoy!  
**

**

* * *

4 Valiant (part 2)**

"You're telling me you've got to fight _that_?" I asked, looking from Arthur to the giant knight he was going to have to face.

"Yes, and he's strong as a bear, but he's slow."

"And you're fast." I stated.

"Exactly." Arthur replied as I got his sword. I patted him once on the shoulder for good luck before he made his way to the arena.

While Arthur was fighting, I saw Valiant again. He smiled at me cruelly.

"How are you getting on?" Gaius asked, appearing at my right.

"Fine, just doing my job. Minding my own busyness." I said, a hint of anger in my voice. Sure, it wasn't Gaius' fault, but still, it wasn't fair!

I walked away from him, off to watch the fight.

Arthur won quickly enough, holding up his sword to the cheering crowd.

Unfortunately, Valiant also won his match, causing him to have to fight Arthur in the finals.

"Valiant is fighting Arthur in the finals. He'll use the shield to kill him." I told my uncle and walked away.

I was sitting in Gaius' chambers, looking at Sir Ewan. If only he would get better, wake up… He could tell the king about Valiant's snakes…

"Merlynn, about what I said yesterday… Look, Uther really wouldn't listen to you or me… But you are right, we can't let Valiant get away with this." Gaius entered the room.

"But we don't have any proof." I had a feeling my uncle had a plan.

"If I could cure Ewan, and he could tell the king that Valiant was using magic… The king would believe another knight… But how to get the antidote? Well, that's another matter."

I got an incredibly stupid idea in my head, got up and went for the door.

"Merlynn?" Gaius questioned. I didn't answer and got on with my plan.

* * *

I checked if Valiant was still in the throne room, enjoying the feast with the other knights and the king. Next, I hurried to Valiant's chambers. The door was locked, but a simple spell opened it for me. A chill went down my spine as I was about to enter the room. It made me pause.

'_This is ridiculous, he isn't even here!'_ I told myself and stepped inside. The shield was clearly visible on a chair next to the table. As a precaution, I took my knife and held it in front of me. I ticked it against the shield a few times, but nothing happened.

I lowered my knife and leaned forward to study the snakes. They weren't moving. A noise from the hallway made me look over my shoulder, turning my back to the shield.

Luckily, the footsteps I'd heard passed the door without hesitation.

A slight hiss made me look at the shadows cast on the wall to my left. The snake had come to life after and had lifted itself, ready to strike. I quickly turned and slashed my knife, accidentally cutting off the snake's head, though I wasn't complaining.

The two other snakes came out as well and hissed menacingly. I quickly gathered the snakehead and fled the room.

* * *

I hated snakes, even as a little girl they frightened me. That's how Will found out. I was ten and was gathering wood by the edge of a forest as a viper wanted to strike. I had shrieked and my magic had lashed out involuntarily, protecting me.

The whole 'spectacle' had been in Will's line of sight, and at first he had intended to go to the village and scream out to everyone I was a witch. That is, until he saw me, crying and hysterical in fear.

Gingerly, he had wrapped an arm around me and comforted me and brought me back to my mother. After that, I felt I was indebted to him and wanted to repay him.

In the present, I found myself outside of Gaius' door and walked in. After he had taken some venom, he announced he could start preparing the antidote.

"I'm going to tell Arthur." I informed him.

"You'll need this." Gaius handed me the snake head. I took it cautiously, dead or not, snakes were creepy.

"And Merlynn? What you did was very brave." He said, which made me smile.

* * *

"You? You chopped its head off?" Arthur asked incredulously.

I nodded. "It was sort of an accident, but I don't mind the results." I told him.

"But that doesn't matter. Ewan was bitten by a snake from the shield when he was fighting Valiant. You can talk to Gaius, see the puncture wounds in Ewan's neck where the snake bit him. Ewan was beating him! He had to cheat!"

I could tell Arthur didn't believe me, it was in that stupid little smile on his face. "Valiant wouldn't dare use magic in Camelot." He reasoned.

"Ewan was pinned under Valiant's shield, no one could see the snake bite him." I countered.

"I don't like the guy, but that doesn't mean he's cheating." Arthur said, getting up from his chair and walking over to the fireplace.

"You think I'm doing this because I know you don't like him? Arthur, I don't like myself, especially after what he almost did to me! I-" I stopped dead, realizing what I had just given away.

"What did he do to you?" Arthur asked, frowning deeply.

"Nothing, it's not important, what's important is that Gaius is preparing an antidote-"

"What did he do?" he interrupted me.

"He… He _almost_… raped me… If Gwen hadn't shown up…" With a pang in my heart, I realized I still hadn't found the time to make it up to her.

"He did _what_!" Arthur yelled. I was taken aback by his reaction.

"Why do you care?" I asked despite myself.

"Because… He's a knight, and no knight should behave like that. A knight is supposed to be honourable, especially to women, _all _women." He explained.

"Look, it didn't happen, okay? Gwen interrupted him and he left. Look, when Ewan's conscious, he'll tell you himself what happened! If you fight Valiant in the finals he'll use the shield, it's the only way he can beat you."

Arthur didn't reply. "Look at it!" I wanted to pick it up, and show it to him, but the thought made ma shudder, so I just pointed. "Have you ever seen a snake like this in Camelot?"

The prince picked the head up and examined it.

"I know I'm just a servant, and my word doesn't count for anything," Arthur's head shot up at that, but he remained silent, "I wouldn't lie to you." I said, completely sincere, looking in his eyes.

"I want you to swear to me what you're telling me s true." He said after a few seconds.

"I swear it's true." Arthur stared into my eyes a few seconds longer before nodding, accepting my sincerity.

"Than I believe you." I could help the small smile that crept onto my lips. He believed me!

* * *

Next morning, Arthur asked for an audience with the king. Everyone was present, Gaius excluded, since he was still taking care of the patient.

The meeting went okay, until Gaius announced Ewan's death and Arthur let it slip that _I_ was the one that saw the snakes. I was nearly dragged off by the guards for interrupting the king and accusing a knight of cheating, but, much to my dismay, Valiant stopped the king. He was playing the noble knight. Arthur got lectured and was forced to apologise.

"I believed you, I trusted you, and you made me look like a complete fool." His voice was quiet, but I could hear the anger and the shame in it.

"I know it didn't go exactly to plan…"

Arthur turned around, and his volume rose. "Didn't go to plan? My father and the entire royal court think I'm a coward! You humiliated me!" he screamed. I flinched at his rage, but didn't loose my wit.

"We can still expose Valiant." Arthur turned away from me, staring out the window.

"I no longer require your services." He said, his tone just loud enough for me to hear.

"You're sacking me?" I asked. _'Over one mistake?'_

"I need a servant I can trust."

"You _can_ trust me!"

"And look where it got me this time! Get out of my sight!" he yelled.

"Arthur, please!" I grabbed his upper arm to turn him around.

A hard force to my right cheek caused me to fall to the ground. It was only a few seconds later, when all the stars had stopped dancing in front of my eyes, that I realized Arthur had backhanded me. Tears sprung in my eyes because of the pain.

"Get. Out." He repeated. This time I wasted no time to scramble to my feet and run out of there.

I could think of nothing else to do but see the dragon again, I needed to tell him something.

* * *

"Where are you?" I called out in the huge cave. 'I just came to tell you, whatever you think my destiny is, whatever it is you think I'm supposed to do… You've got the wrong person!"

Nothing, not a sound… It was very strange to be talking to a seemingly empty cave.

"That's it… Goodbye." I turned to leave, but the dragon's voice stopped me.

"If only it were so easy to escape ones destiny." He flew into my line of sight and landed on the large rock in front of me.

"How can it be my destiny to protect someone who hates me? He hit me!"

"A half cannot truly hate that which makes it whole. Very soon, you shall learn that."

"Ah, great! Just what I needed another riddle." I said sarcastically.

"That your and Arthur's path lies together is but the truth."

"What is that even supposed to mean?"

"You know, young warlock, this is not the end, it is the beginning." He said and flew back to wherever his nest was.

"Just give me a straight answer!" I yelled after him, but he either didn't hear me, or decided to ignore me.

* * *

I was sitting on the stone steps in the courtyard when, to my surprise, Gwen approached me.

"Hello, Merlynn." She said quietly, sitting down next to me.

"Gwen." I acknowledged.

"I've been thinking… I don't think you're evil… you know, because of your… gift…"

I looked up, but decided not to interrupt for fear that she would change her mind.

"I'm not going to report you, but just… keep it away from me? I don't want to get in trouble, but I do want to stay friends… Can we do that?"

I was too happy to respond, so I just threw my arms around her neck and hugged her tight. When we released each other, we lapsed into a comfortable silence.

"So, is it true what you said about Valiant using magic?" she asked.

My grim mood returned as I nodded. I was reminded painfully that I had lost my job and my destiny was about to fall to pieces.

"What are you going to do?" she asked me.

"Why does everyone think it's down to me to do something about it?"

"Because it is! You have magic, and you're the one who found out! You're one of the only ones who knows about it." She whispered. "You have to show everyone you were right and they were wrong."

"And how do I do that? No one who matters is willing to listen."

"I don't know." She admitted. "I suppose there isn't a spell you can use?"

I looked up at that. Maybe… I noticed a stone statue of a dog, if I could make that one come alive, I could definitely make Valiant's snakes come out too early!

"That's it!" I whispered.

"I got up and walked toward it. "Where are you going?" Gwen asked.

"Do you have a wheelbarrow?" I asked.

* * *

Gwen got a wheelbarrow and assisted me in getting it into my room. Once there she left to tend to Morgana again and I got my spell book.

Gaius had asked what I was doing with one of the statues, to which I answered I was going o let everyone see the snakes.

"Babay odothey arisan quickem." I said. Nothing happened. Maybe I had gotten it wrong, so I tried again, and again and again. Still nothing happened.

I tried to say it differently: whispering, yelling, in a happy voice, an angry voice… Everything!

As the night fell, I got too frustrated to continue, so I went to take a walk. Somehow, I ended up at Arthur's door, so I walked in.

He barely looked up when he said: "I thought I told you to get out of my sight?" But there was no anger in his voice.

"Don't fight Valiant in the finals tomorrow," I pleaded, "he'll use the shield against you."

"I know." Arthur replied, still not looking at me.

"Then withdraw, you have to withdraw!"

"Don't you understand? I can't withdraw. The people expect their prince to fight. How can I lead men into battle if they think I'm a coward?"

"Valiant will kill you! If you fight, you die!"

"Then I die." Arthur may have been a prat, but he was a noble and brave prat.

"How can you go out there and fight like that?"

"Because I have to… It's my duty."

I was about to leave when he called me back. "Merlynn?" I turned to find him much closer than I expected.

Arthur let the back of his index finger go over my painful right cheek. "I'm sorry about that. Truly, I am."

"Arthur Pendragon apologising for something? Can someone hand me a pen and parchment, this I need to write down." I joked.

He let his hand drop and stepped back. "You can read and write?" he asked curiously.

"Yes, and you'd better live so I can continue keeping them a secret from you, understand?"

"You should ask Gaius to look at that." I knew a dismissal when I heard one, so I left and continued trying to bring the dog to life.

* * *

I tried and tried until morning, I was half asleep. I could hear the people cheering outside, which gave me little energy to keep trying, I couldn't be late!

Suddenly I heard a low growling sound, and when I opened my eyes I saw a Rottweiler standing next to my bed.

"I did it!" I laughed, but the smile melted off my face as the dog barked loudly at me, growling and baring its teeth.

I got up as quickly as I could, grabbing my spell book and got out of there, closing the door behind me.

Gaius walked in when I was safely outside my door. "Arthur's fighting Valiant."

"I know, I'm on my way. Oh! Whatever you do, don't go into my room, I'll deal with it later."

I said, knowing he'd take a look, but not really caring. I ran flat out to the arena, only to have to wait for the perfect moment to expose Valiant for the cheater he was.

Arthur knocked off Valiant's helmet, and the idiot took his off as well. How dumb can one person be?

Valiant pushed Arthur to the floor and stepped on his shield, so the prince was forced to leave it or be stabbed. Not long afterwards, Arthur lost his sword and to avoid the other knight's weapon, he stepped into his swing and wrestled him away.

Valiant was far enough away for me to act, it was now or never.

"Babay odothey arisan quickem." I whispered. I felt the magic flow through me.

It worked, the snakes came out and Valiant looked panicked. Uther, along with pretty much everyone else, got up from his seat in shock.

"And now they see you for what you truly are." Arthur said.

Valiant just chuckled and ordered the snakes to kill Arthur.

My eyes widened as I realized he didn't have his sword anymore and thus, no means to defend himself with.

"Arthur, catch!" I found myself yelling and threw him my most valuable possession; my knife.

He beheaded both snakes in one strike, and the battle between the prince and the cheating knight resumed. Arthur won not too much later, even though Valiant had the upper hand because of his longer weapon and that he still had his shield, but Arthur had the necessary skills.

For no other battle had the public cheered so loud and so enthusiastically. And never had I felt so relieved.

Arthur patted my shoulder in passing, and proceeded to get changed for the feast, where Gaius and I headed immediately.

"My honourable guests, I give you Prince Arthur, your champion!" Uther announced as Arthur walked in. On his face was a smile, one of pure happiness. I cheered along with all the other guests as I stood at my uncle's side.

"See? I told you he gets all the girls and the glory." I told him, smiling nonetheless.

"And he owes it all to you." He answered, turning my smile into a smirk.

Arthur guided Morgana to the middle of the hall. There, they seemed to get into a bit of an argument, and each went another way, Morgana to talk to Gwen, and Arthur to me. Gaius had already left

"Can you _believe_ Morgana? She says you saved me, like I needed any help."

I didn't look at him. "Of course, sire, might I get my knife back now?" I asked hinting that he was wrong, but not wanting to say it.

"I wanted to say, I made a mistake, it was unfair to sack you." He said as he handed me my knife back.

"Twice in one day, Arthur, I believe you're getting sick, maybe you should find Gaius. But don't worry about it, you can buy me a drink and we'll call it even."

"I can't really be seen buying drinks for my servant."

I suppressed a smile. "Your servant? You sacked me, remember?"

"Yeah, well, now I'm rehiring you. My chambers are a complete mess, my clothes need washing, my armour needs repairing, my boots need cleaning, my bed needs changing and _someone_ needs to muck out my stables."

"I really wish I could smack you right now, but I guess that wouldn't be proper, _my lord_." I said with a smile. Arthur was about to retort until I laughed.

"Honestly Arthur, you make it so easy." I said and, still smiling, walked over to Morgana and Gwen to really enjoy the feast.

* * *

**A/N: So, what did you think?**

**Next up: a super short mep (mini-episode) it should be up by tomorrow, or maybe the day after tomorrow.**

**One more thing: REVIEW!  
**


	5. Who let the dogs out?

**A/N: Okay, not a very long chapter, though I did spend a lot of time on it. I really suck at these kind of things, but I wanted to make the story more my own... Recently I've felt like I just copy the episodes, not bringing in anything of my own, but I want to change that. So here's my first mep (=mini-episode). I hope you'll enjoy it (even though it's not very god...).**

**I want to thank everyone who added this story to their alerts/favourites and everyone who reviewed:  
serenaone23, moonlightwastaken., hazelbunny, narnia365, BlackWolf2013, SilentDarkness101, The 11th Doctor's Mermaid Sam, khibaeri, GothicAngel Is Me, Scribbler95, Stephy-Lou Clark-Weasley, allan niichan, tieleyes, Xx-MeMe-xX, TheAngelGirl1992, pouf, Kota, Maria, C Elise and Merganaforever. (I apologise if I misspelled anything)**

**disclaimer:**** I don't own Merlin, only Merlynn =) Again, I apologise if I seem to have stolen parts of other stories (see chapter 1)**

**5 (mep 1) who let the dogs out  
**

I left the feast early, remembering I still had a dog to get rid of. It was still growling and clawing at my door, there was no way I could get into my room.

Seeing no alternative I grabbed my spell book just as Gaius walked in.

"Merlynn?" He noticed the spell book in my hands. "You're not using magic to get that dog out!"

"Aw, why not? I don't want to bitten, it's a rottweiler!"

"Then I suggest you read up on dog training."

I groaned and started searching through Gaius' books, there had to be something.

"You might want to move your search to the library, I don't usually occupy my time with animals." Gaius said.

I groaned and spent my night in the library, but naturally, I didn't find one book about dog training, and I suspected Gaius knew I wouldn't.

So, I had to do it the old-fashioned way: by trail and error.

It took me a while, but eventually, with the help of a nice juicy steak, I managed to get into my room without much more than a few scratches.

The dog lay down and chewed on the steak. "Good boy… or… girl?" When the dog was finished, it rolled over on its back. It was all girl.

"Hey, you want to be scratched?" I asked and hesitantly rubbed her belly. In reaction, her back paw kicked in the air.

"You're not that scary, are you? You were just hungry and wanted to play." I whispered to her.

The dog rolled over again and put her head down sleepily. I couldn't help but smile, she was just so _adorable_!

I yawned, climbed into bed and fell asleep instantly.

* * *

I woke the next morning to the dog licking my face.

"Ew! No, stop it! Bad dog!" I shot out of bed and reprimanded the animal. She wined and put her head to the ground.

I sighed, how could I possibly resist that? "Fine, come on, I'll see if I can you some food."

The dog perked up immediately and followed me into the main area of Gaius' chambers.

"I see you've made some progress?" my uncle commented when he saw the pup following me at my ankle.

"Yeah, she just wanted some food and someone to play with, seeing how she's been a statue all her life. And she's just a puppy! Were she a normal dog, I'd guess she's about a year old." I told him. The dog nodded enthusiastically.

Gaius and I both frowned. "You can understand me?" I asked the pup. Again, she nodded quickly.

"That is amazing! It must because you came from magic!" I was fascinated, maybe my spell had worked a little too well.

"Maybe…" Gaius said.

Then I realized something. "I still need to name you! Hmm… How about… I can't think of anything, you Gaius?"

"How about a Greek goddess? There were enough of those." He said casually, eating his breakfast at the table.

"You wouldn't have a book on those, would you?" I asked sweetly.

Gaius chuckled and got up to take a thick tome out of his bookcase. "Just look at the index, you should find all the names in there."

"I'd love to look at it now, but I have to take Arthur's breakfast up to him. I'll see you at noon, bye!" I said and hurried out the door. I was nearly down the hall when I realized the puppy was still following me. "Hey, girl. Why don't you go wait for me with Gaius? I'm sure he can use the company."

The pup whined and her big, brown eyes begged me to take her with me. I couldn't resist and motioned for her to follow me. She proved useful though. When I arrived at Arthur's room, my hands weren't free to open the door, so she stood on her hind legs and opened it for me.

"Thank you, sweetheart." I told her, entered the room and put Arthur's meal on his table.

"Did you just call me 'sweetheart'?" Arthur asked incredulously from behind his dressing screen.

"No! Of course not! That would be gross! I was talking to the dog!" I said and started cleaning up Arthur's discarded clothes. The dog understood what I was doing and started helping me.

"Did you just say 'dog'?" Arthur stepped from behind the screen and looked at me confused.

"Are you deaf as well as dumb?" I asked, quoting him.

"Oh, ha-ha." His eyes fell on the dog that was picking up clothes with her mouth and bringing them over to me.

"Where did you get a dog like that?" he asked coming over, but when he got too close, the dog began to growl. Arthur stepped back and the dog stopped growling.

"She's just protecting me, don't be a baby."

"Why? It's not like I'd hurt you."

I didn't say anything, but touched the purplish-blue bruise on my cheek.

"Oh, right… Well… Why is it here?"

"_She_ is here because she didn't want to wait in Gaius' chambers until I was back, so I just took her with me."

"I do not want an animal in room!" he said as he sat down and began eating.

"She is not just an animal, Terri is very intelligent!" I argued. The name had just come to me, and I thought it suited her. Terri barked happily, signalling she liked it too.

"You named it?" Arthur didn't seem to understand at all.

"Yes, now, I'm sorry, but I have to go clean your clothes." I said and walked out with Arthur's laundry-basket.

Terri, however, didn't seem to want to leave and kept sitting there, staring at Arthur.

She got up and padded over, nestling at the prince's feet. "What the-" He protested and I burst out laughing.

"I think she likes you. I'll leave her with you for now. I'll be back in about an hour."

I quickly got out before Arthur could respond and went to wash the royal prat's clothes.

* * *

When I got back the most adorable sight I'd ever seen met my eyes. Arthur had made it into his bed, and Terri had snuggled up next to him, both of them fast asleep.

Since Arthur's room was a mess again, I guessed Terri had dragged all around the room, trying to play with him. And when Arthur had gotten too tired, he'd laid down on the bed. Terri, not really understanding, had probably whined for a little while before nestling next to the sleeping prince.

In silence, I cleaned up the room for a second time and went to do my other chores, leaving the two to sleep it off.

At noon, I brought up Arthur's food. "Terri, wake up girl!" I called gently when I entered. "Arthur, you too!" That might not have been so gentle.

Terri barked enthusiastically and ran over to jump on me and lick my face. "Terri, no! Stop!" The pup backed away a little, but kept barking. Al the while, Arthur had been rubbing his eyes, trying to wake up and was now heading for his food.

"Come on, Terri, let's leave the prince to his meal. There's someone I want you to meet." I told the pup.

"Hey!" Arthur said, finally responding." You still need to clean my r-"

I raised an eyebrow. "I cleaned your room while you were sleeping, sire." I told him, a smirk on my lips.

"Well, what about mucking out my horses, polishing my armour and cleaning my boots?" He seemed way too smug.

"Check, check and check. You really were asleep for a long time my lord. Maybe you should go to bed earlier next time, that way you wouldn't need an afternoon nap." I quipped.

Arthur couldn't think of a retort right away, so I got out of there, Terri following me.

I found Gwen in Morgana's chambers, sowing one of her gowns.

"Merlynn! It's great to see you… Who is this?" she asked when she saw Terri.

"Gwen, meet Terri, Terri, meet Gwen." I introduced the two with a smile.

Gwen knelt next to the energetic puppy and scratched her behind the ears. Terri made a content sound and sat down, leaning into the maid's hand.

"Remember that statue? This is her." I explained. Gwen paused in her actions.

"Really? You brought this dog to life? How long will the enchantment last?" Terri perked her ears at this, she didn't know there could be an end to all the fun.

"As long as she'll live, I recon. Besides, I made the spell too strong, that's why she's so intelligent and can understand what we're saying."

"Everything? That's amazing!" Gwen said.

"What's amazing?" Morgana asked when she came in. Gwen was struggling for words, so I came up with the solution.

"The amount of tricks Terri can do already, especially since I've only had her for a day. I'll show you!"

I turned to Terri with a look that said: 'Please do what I ask you to?'

I lowered myself to the pup's height and said: "Lay down, Terri!" Terri looked at me curiously, but did as I asked anyway.

"Good girl, now roll over!" My voice was much too chipper, but then, I was enjoying this. Again, Terri did as I asked.

I kissed the top of Terri's head and stood up. "See? She's amazing, and very intelligent!" I told Morgana.

The noblewoman smiled and came over t pat Terri, but the pup started growling and baring her teeth. Morgana quickly took a step back.

"I'm so sorry, she's normally not like this." I apologised.

"It's nothing, but I'm sure Arthur needs your help with something." She answered with a smile, though she was obviously faking it.

"Of course." I said, and walked out with Terri. "Why did you do that? You were nice to Gwen and Gaius and even to Arthur!"

Terri whined and lowered her head, as if in shame. "Oh, you know I can't resist it when you do that!" I said and picked the rather large pup up and hugged her to my chest. "You're a good girl, but don't be mean to Morgana, she's a friend. Deal?" Terri sort of nodded and I set her down on the ground again.

* * *

We walked to the kitchens and then to Arthur's room to bring him his dinner. Since Arthur seemed to be in a bit of a bad mood, we didn't stay there very long. I left Terri in Gaius' capable hands and did the chores Arthur had given me.

It all passed in a blur and before I knew it, I was laying in my bed. My hand rested on Terri's back and the last thing I thought before I fell asleep was that life at Camelot might be a little more fun with Terri in it.

* * *

**A/N: So what did you think? I know it wasn't my best, and I promise to do better in the future. =)**

**Next chapter should be up somewhere this week, though with my recent addiction to 'Glee' it might be a little longer.**

**Review!  
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	6. The Mark of Nimueh part 1

**A/N: Hai everybody! I'm sooooo sorry for not updating sooner, I know I should have... :'( I've just been engrossed in farscape, (I'm at the second season ^^). Next chapter WILL be posted by next week, I promise!**

**On a different note; I'm sorry, Terri doesn't really have a big role to play in this episode, but I promise it'll change! And I really hope you'll review (in spite of that), because eighteen reviews isn't bad, but it isn't great either, you all know I reply every review I get! I hope you'll enjoy the chapter! =)  
**

**disclaimer: see chapter one  
**

**6 The Mark of Nimueh**

Gaius had been called to the lower village for a man who had died, so Terri and I offered our services.

"Aren't you scared?" I asked when the physician kneeled by the body.

"Of what?" he asked, looking up.

"That you might catch whatever it is?" It seemed to me as if Gaius was always the one to come in contact with diseases.

"I'm the court physician, Merlynn, it's part of my job." He answered and turned back to the body. I bended down as well as Gaius rolled it over.

"Most of the time there's nothing really to be scared of." He continued.

I gasped as I saw the dead man's face. It was blue and his veins stood out, the man's eyes were milky white and frankly, it scared me. Terri seemed to agree with me as she barked at it.

"You were saying?" I said to Gaius.

"People mustn't see this. They'll panic!" He whispered urgently. I stopped Terri from barking with a look and got up to look around for something to cover the body up with. A large piece of cloth caught my eye and Gaius and I used it to place it over the deceased.

My uncle and I found a cart to transport the body on and made our way back to the castle. We were held up by the bridge by Gwen though. She seemed in a great mood and was carrying flowers.

"What are you doing?" She asked cheerfully.

"Oh, uhm, just moving something." I replied and went to walk behind the cart rather than in front of it. Gwen looked over my shoulders.

"Looks heavy." She commented as Terri tried to snuggle up to her.

"Oh, not really. Someone got you flowers?" I changed the subject, partly to avoid her questions and partly out of curiosity.

"Oh! No. Would you like one?" She asked, already picking one out. "A purple one. Purple suits you." She commented.

I smiled and took the flower. But then the other girl started blabbering.

"Not that I'm saying that red doesn't suit you…" she said, referring to the red work dress I was searing. Terri was looking from me to Gwen and back again, the sight was quite comical.

"Thanks, well, uhm…" I looked for a place to put it and decided to place it in my hair.

We smiled at each other and I said: "Well, I'll see you."

"Bye." The maid replied.

* * *

"I've never seen anything like this before." Gaius said, holding his looking glass over the dead man's head. I had feared those words, it meant that we were going to have to work very hard to find a cure for a deadly disease.

"Do you think it could be some kind of plague?" I asked. Terri was playing with a ball I had created for her in my room, so that she wouldn't disturb us, at least for now.

"No, I fear that something like this could never come from nature. But who has this kind of power?" He asked rhetorically.

"You think it was caused by magic?" I asked. A feeling of dread settled in my stomach, how could anyone do this with magic? Magic was supposed to be used for good, not evil.

Someone knocked at the door and Arthur's voice sounded through it. "Merlynn!"

I went to open the door quickly. "I'm on my way, sorry I'm late." I told the prince when I had opened the door.

"Don't worry, I'm getting used to it." He said and then noticed the flower in my hair. He frowned.

"Oh, uhm, Gwen gave it to me." I explained.

"Tell Gaius my father wants to see him now." He said, ignoring me.

I closed the door when Arthur had walked away and turned to my uncle.

"Gaius-"

"I heard." He interrupted.

"Why couldn't he just tell you himself?" I asked.

"Because that's the way it is, you're a servant."

"If he knew what I was, what I've done-"

"You'd be a dead servant." Gaius stated. "Get this covered up." He told me.

"Hey, I'm not your servant." I complained mildly, with a smile on my lips.

"No, you're my dogsbody." He informed me, but by the twinkle in his eyes I could tell he didn't mean it. Terri, who had come out of my room, barked loudly. I guess she thought it was offensive. (:p) "Come on, hurry up." Gaius continued.

I did as I was told and accompanied him to the throne room. Another dead man lay on the floor and Uther asked what had happened to him.

"I don't know, sire. It's the second case I've seen today." Gaius said, kneeling at the body. I stood a little to the side, thinking what could have caused this.

"Why didn't you report it to me?" Uther asked.

"I was attempting to find the cause."

"What did you conclude?" Uther enquired.

"I don't think it's time to jump to conclusions, the scientific process is a long one."

"What are you concealing from me?" Uther asked, his voice slightly lower. He looked angry.

"Sire, I have seen nothing like it. The victims are dying in 24 hours and it's spreading fast." Gaius tried, but Uther would not listen.

"What is the cause?" He asked again.

"I think I could say the cause –the most likely cause –is sorcery."

The few people that were in the room started whispering and Uther finally looked away from Gaius.

"You must find who did this." Uther ordered his son.

"I will, father."

"Conduct door-to-door searches, increase your presence in the town. Double the guards on all the gates and lend the physician your servant." He said with a glance to me. Gaius and I had been in the process of carrying the man out.

"Merlynn, but-" Arthur started, but Uther interrupted him.

"We need Gaius to find a cure. He needs al the help we can give him." He said with a final note in his tone.

"If Gaius is right, believe me, this city will be wiped out. This is the kind of magic that undermines our authority, challenges all we've done. If we cannot control this plague, people will turn to magic for a cure. We have to find this sorcerer and quickly." He said as Gaius and I walked out.

* * *

Arthur was literally searching every house, questioning every citizen. Gaius took my arm and led me away from the scene, back toward the castle. Along the way, I noticed a man lying at the side of the road. He was still breathing, but his head was blue and his eyes white.

"Gaius! He's alive!" I said, moving to the man's side. I had gotten Terri out of my room again, and now she was whining at my side, burying her head in my arm.

"I'm afraid there's nothing we can do for him." He said, his voice grave.

"But we haven't tried!" I protested.

"If we don't know what the disease is than how can we cure him?" Gaius countered.

"With magic!" I whispered.

"Have a look!" Gaius pulled me up. "They are suspicious of everyone." He said, pointing to the soldiers walking around everywhere.

"This is not the time to be using magic. Science will lead us to the source of the disease." Gaius said and dragged me away from the dying man. Terri followed behind, her head hanging low.

* * *

"What are you doing?" I asked, back at Gaius' chambers. He was holding a bottle of yellowish-white substance over a flame.

"I'm examining the contents of that man's stomach."

"Will that tell you what did it?" I asked curiously.

"No, but it might tell us how it spreads. One thing I do know: this is magic of the darkest kind."

"Why would someone use magic like that?" I asked. I just couldn't wrap my head around it. Whenever I thought of magic I pictured it as a golden mist, invisible, except in your eyes. A mist that could be manipulated to create something beautiful, or to protect something. But now I also saw a black mist, shrouding the evil sorcerer who was doing this.

"Magic corrupts, people use it for their own ends."

"Not all magic is bad, I know it isn't."

"It's neither good nor bad, it's how you use it." Gaius explained.

We were interrupted by Arthur and his men as they burst through the door and started searching the room.

"Sorry Gaius, we're searching every room in town."

"What for?" He asked.

"The sorcerer."

"Why would he be here?" I asked.

"I'm just doing my job." He answered.

"Well, we have nothing to hide, go on then, search." Gaius said, but the look ha gave me said something else.

"What are these books and papers?" Arthur asked.

"My life's work, dedicated to the understanding of science, you're quite welcome to read through it if you wish." Gaius replied. He was bluffing of course, only the first few inches of paper were science, the rest was information about magical creatures.

Arthur put the paper down and turned to my room.

"What's this room up here?" He asked.

"It's mine." I replied.

"And what do you expect to find in there?" Gaius asked.

"I'm looking for material or evidence suggesting the use of magic or enchantments."

He walked up the stairs but hesitated on the threshold. "May I enter?" he asked, not turning to look at me.

It was a formality, I knew, I wasn't like I could say no, but still. "You may." I said.

The second Arthur opened the door, a hyperactive puppy, who was barking happily, jumped up to him. Had she been any bigger, Arthur would've fallen backwards.

"No, bad dog! Down!" Arthur said with authority, and Terri stopped jumping, but wouldn't keep quiet.

"Terri, come here, girl, and stop barking." I said with a smile. Terri did as I asked and sat down next to me.

Arthur frowned at me but entered my room anyway.

"What did you do to the magic book I gave you?" Gaius whispered. My eyes widened as I realized I had been reading it last night. That meant I probably didn't put it away properly.

Before I could react, Arthur's voice sounded through the open door. "Merlynn, come here. Look what I found."

I ran up to my room to find Arthur standing in front of my cupboard.

"I've found a place you can put things, it's called a cupboard." I had the decency to smile and blush. When Arthur had turned away from me, I looked around frantically for my book. Finally, I noticed it lying near my bed. I used my magic to pull a piece of cloth from my bed over the book. Arthur looked under my bed, and I noticed a corner of the book still visible, but Arthur didn't notice it and walked out of my room. I breathed a sigh in relief.

"How long do you think it may be before you find a cure?" Arthur asked Gaius.

"That depends on how many interruptions I get." He replied coolly.

"Of course, I'm sorry." He said to Gaius before looking at his men. "We're finished here."

I watched as they all left and Gaius closed the door behind them. "We have to hide that book." He said.

"No, we must use it."

"Don't be stupid."

"I have this legacy, then what is it for? You keep telling me, it's not for playing tricks."

"You want to practise magic when the king is hunting for sorcerers? Are you mad? Merlynn, your life is destined for more important things."

"But if I don't practise, then how will I get to be this great warlock?" I asked exasperatedly. Terri whined from her position near my feet, she didn't like arguments.

"There will come a time when your skills will be recognised." Gaius continued.

"When? How long will I have to wait?" I'd been waiting all my life, I was sick of having to hide all the time and people being terrified of what I was.

"Patience is a virtue, Merlynn."

"What, sitting by and doing nothing is a virtue?"

Gaius pointed the spoon he was holding at me and said: "Your time will come."

"I could have cured that man we saw!"

"I know it's tempting to use the way you find easiest, Merlynn-"

"It is when it could save a life!"

"It's no good saving just one person, we have to discover how this illness is spreading."

"Arthur is out there right now, looking for the sorcerer!"

"The sorcerer who's powerful enough to do this will not be found searching the town."

I sighed in defeat. I knew Gaius was right, but I just didn't want to feel so useless anymore. "So what can we do?" I asked, patting Terri's head.

"Hope that science can find the answer before it kills us all." I watched as Gaius continued to examine the dead man's stomach.

* * *

While Gaius did some tests and examinations, I helped the guard gather the bodies in the central courtyard. I had left Terri in the capable hands of Gwen, who wasn't really up to carrying corpses around.

The hard work made me thirsty. I must've drunk three buckets worth during those hours.

* * *

The death toll was rising by the hour. Meanwhile Gaius and I had another body to examine.

"What's different about this victim?" Gaius asked, always the teacher.

"She's a woman."

"Sometimes I do wonder whether your magical talents were given to the right person. Anything else?"

"You didn't let me finish! She's a courtier, she's not from the lower town like all the others were so far. She wouldn't have gone there, so that suggests the disease is not spread by contact… But then how does it spread?" I asked.

"Very good, Merlynn. Think, what does this woman have in common with the other victims?"

"Euhm… Water?" I half-asked.

"Yes!"

"Water, you think the disease is spread through water?"

"Merlynn, you're a protégé." I smiled at the slightly sarcastic praise, before coughing loudly.

"Are you alright?" Gaius asked as he handed me a bucket.

"I'm fine." I replied and went to get a sample of water.

While I was pumping, Gwen ran by, obviously upset, since tears were streaming down her cheeks.

"Gwen? Gwen!" I yelled after her.

I picked up the bucket and ran after her as fast as I could.

"I am begging you." Gwen said when I arrived at Gaius' chambers.

"I wish there was something, anything, I could do, but so far the remedy is beyond anything I can achieve." Gaius replied.

Gwen broke down as Gaius took her hand. "No." She breathed.

"I'm sorry, Gwen."

Gwen turned and ran out.

"There must be something we can do?" I was getting desperate, sooner or later my friends would get sick. And Tom was a good man; he was friendly and took care of Gwen.

"At best, we can hope this provides some answers." Gaius answered and took the bucket of water from me.

"But that'll be too late for Gwen's father!" I protested, finishing off with another coughing fit.

"You may be right." It was useless arguing with him. I sighed and went to my room.

* * *

As I lay awake in my room, I decided I couldn't let a man die when I could stop it. I got out of bad and checked if Gaius was still sound asleep. When I was sure he was, I closed the door and got my book, it had to say something about a cure.

Finally, I found what I was looking for and, after quietly preparing the poultice, I sneaked outside. I had close call when Terri shifted in her sleep, just as I was about to leave the room, but she didn't wake.

Considering how Arthur was always bragging about the security in this place, it was surprisingly easy to sneak out, place the poultice under Tom's pillow, and sneak back in. I did have to duck aside a few times, when Arthur's men passed, but I wasn't caught.

I thanked God that I hadn't erupted into another coughing fit.

* * *

Next morning, even though I wasn't feeling very well myself, I went to check on Gwen. She was cleaning up Morgana's chambers.

"How's your father? Is he feeling better?" I asked, poking my head in. Terri barked happily at my feet, wanting to know as well.

Gwen was cleaning up Morgana's gowns and smiled at me. "Yes, incredible! It's a miracle."

"His skin's clear? Back to normal?" I asked, to be sure.

Gwen nodded. "Yes!"

"Great." I replied and ducked my head back out but Gwen stopped me. "You don't seem surprised?" she asked, and I realized I should have, this disease was supposed to be lethal and Tom survived.

"Oh! No, no, I am! It's a miracle." I replied and Terri barked in agreement. I smiled at the frowning Gwen and stepped inside, trying to hide my coughing behind my hand.

"But how did you know he was well?" she asked, but then her eyes widened. "You didn't…?"

"I couldn't just let him die," I whispered, "he's your father, you would have been devastated."

Gwen stepped forward and threw her arms around my neck. "Thank you, you saved his life! How can I ever repay you?" Terri tried to join in by jumping on us, causing us to brake apart.

"Don't mention it. Seriously, don't, it might get me killed." I joked, but she nodded solemnly. I guess she didn't catch the underlying joke. My throat was burning and I was slightly dizzy, and the coughing wasn't helping.

"Are you alright? You're a little pale."

"I'm fine, probably just a cold. I'll ask Gaius. Bye, Gwen."

"Bye!"

I smiled at her one more time and left the room.

* * *

I was walking through the corridors near the square later when I heard Gwen's distressed calls.

"Let me go!" She yelled. "I swear to you…!" Then she turned and saw me over her shoulder.

"Merlynn! Merlynn, please help me! Why won't you listen to me!"

But then Gaius came out of another hallway and dragged me away by my arm. Once we were back in Gaius' study, he turned on me. "What have you done?"

"What?"

"I warned you! Oh, I understand, you thought you were doing good?" Gaius was furious, I could tell.

"I couldn't let her father die knowing I could cure him." I replied firmly, though

"Didn't you think it was a bit suspicious, the curing of one man?" asked, still very angry. Deep down I know he was angry because I was getting myself into trouble, but he shouldn't be angry because I saved a man's life.

"Then, all I have to do is… I'll cure everyone. No one will ever have to know it was magic." I said, before coughing again.

"It's too late! They think Gwen's a sorceress, they think she caused the disease!"

"But she didn't!" I had to tell Arthur Gwen was innocent! I had already opened the door when Gaius' voice stopped me.

"And how are you going to prove that?"

I didn't know what to answer. He was right, I couldn't. But I wouldn't let Gwen sit in that cell thinking everyone had abandoned her. I gave my uncle one last look and went through the door.

* * *

**A/N: So, what did you think? Do you hate me for the lousy chapter that took much too long to write?**

**Tanks to all my reviewers, you make me want to continue ^^**

**Review!**


	7. The Mark of Nimueh part 2

**A/N: Hey guys! I know, it' been forever since I updated, I hope this chapter will make up for it a little ^^  
And for the first time since I started this fic, it's been beta-ed! So a huge thanks to Eilonwyn for your great advice! And to all of my reviewers of course!  
I've written the next chapter and I've started on the one after that, I just have to wait for it to be beta-ed and then you'll be able to read it =) So R&R! And enjoy!**

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* * *

7 The Mark of Nimueh part 2**

"Please! I'm innocent! I didn't do anything! Please, believe me!" Gwen begged as she was dragged into the throne room. Uther stared at her coldly, and all I could do was watch, from a corner of the room. I wasn't even supposed to be there.

"Well done," Uther praised his son.

"Why will no one believe me?" the poor maid asked. "He got better, he just recovered, I didn't do anything!"

"I believe you," Morgana declared as she strode into the room. "Perhaps this is a disease that is not always fatal. Have you thought of that?" The lady was clearly angry, and for good reason. "Perhaps he recovered naturally?"

"And what of this poultice that was found?" Uther replied coolly.

"What poultice? I don't know anything about a poultice," Gwen tried desperately.

"It was found in your house. Undo the enchantment, put an end to this contagion." Uther ordered, standing up from his throne. I had a dizzy spell and had to lean against the wall for support momentarily. Unfortunately, Arthur noticed and frowned at me.

"I can't," Gwen tried to explain to the king, but he wouldn't listen.

"Then I will show you no mercy."

"I am not a witch, I don't know how to stop the illness!" But again Gwen's words feel on deaf ears.

"If you will not undo your sorcery, you force my hand and I must find you guilty."

"But I've told you-"

"It is therefore my duty to pronounce judgment." Uther ignored her words, and circled her like a vulture. His eyes bored into hers as she gasped slightly.

I held my breath. He couldn't sentence her to death without any real proof, could he?

"And under the circumstances I have no choice but to sentence you to death."

"No," Gwen whispered. I drew a shaky breath and felt tears running down my cheeks.

"I only hope that when you die, this evil plague dies with you. Take her to the dungeons." Arthur looked away, as if he didn't want to watch this happen. I knew he couldn't stop it, only I could now.

Gwen screamed out her innocence as the guards dragged her off. I walked out after her, still unseen by anyone but Arthur.

* * *

"I thought I was doing good," I whispered, sitting at Gaius' table. He had taken my hand in comfort, but it didn't take away the feeling I was losing my best friend. "That curing Gwen's father would help her. I thought I was saving a life. It seemed so simple…" Tears came to my eyes again, and before I could wipe them away, they were falling, making wet circles on my dress.

"An easy solution is like a light in a storm, Merlynn. Rush forward at your peril for it may not always lead you to a safe harbour."

I took a shuddering breath. "I can see that now."

"How many times have I warned you about the responsibilities of being a sorceress?"

"I must see her," I stated and got up to leave, but lost my balance. I fell on the ground and started coughing violently.

"Merlynn! Are you alright?" Gaius knelt by my side and put his hand on my forehead. "You are burning up. How long have you been like this?"

"You mean the coughing, the headaches, the balance issues, the sweating or the fever?" I asked, but got up anyway.

"Merlynn, you might have the disease, now tell me!"

I sighed and leaned on the table. "Yesterday, maybe the day before…"

"Maybe your magic is trying to fight off the illness. It is the only explanation for you to still be alive."

"Don't worry about me, uncle," I said and put my hand reassuringly on his own, "worry about Gwen, she's the one who's going to be burnt tomorrow." I got up and walked out the door.

When I arrived at the dungeons, Morgana was just leaving, her eyes red and puffy from crying.

I squeezed her shoulder lightly in passing and made my way toward Gwen's cell.

"Gwen?" My voice quivered as I saw her sitting against the wall, hopeless and alone.

She tried to come to me, but her chains were too short. "Thank you," she said anyway.

"What for?" I asked, feeling my throat thicken.

"Coming to see me, curing my father, being my friend…" she replied.

"I'm so sorry," I whispered, feeling the tears coming down again.

"It's not your fault… Well, it is, but I don't blame you. You're a good person, Merlynn, and a great friend. But don't worry about me, there's no point crying about it…"

"Yes, there is!" I cried. "I'm about to lose my best friend, I can't let them do this to you!"

"Please, one thing, you don't have to… But…" She hesitated.

I wiped my tears away; I needed to be strong for her. "What? You know I'll do anything."

"Remember me."

"How could I possibly forget? And I'm not just going to let you die." Despite my best efforts, the tears kept coming, but at least my voice was steady.

"Merlynn, there's nothing you can do," she pleaded.

'_Yes, there is, but you're not going to like it,'_ I thought. I turned around and ran out of the dungeons.

"Merlynn! Don't do anything stupid!" I heard her call after me, but I paid it no heed.

* * *

I burst into the throne room, the doors banging against the walls. "It was me!" I said loudly, getting the attention of all the people gathered there: Arthur, Uther, Gaius and lots of other members of the council.

"It was me who used magic to cure Gwen's father! Gwen is not the sorceress, I am!"

For a moment nobody spoke, until Gaius stood up, clearly angry. "Merlynn! Are you mad?"

"I cannot let her die for me," I said, swallowing hard against the feeling of nausea that was pressing on me.

"I place myself at your mercy," I said to Uther. If I was going to die because of this disease anyway, I might as well do it while saving Gwen.

"She doesn't know what she's talking about," Gaius argued.

"I do," I replied firmly, even though my hands were shaking.

"Then arrest her," Uther ordered the guards.

"Father, please," Arthur said, getting up from the table, "I can't allow this, this is madness. There's no way _Merlynn_ is the sorceress."

"Did you not hear her?" Uther asked.

"Yes." Arthur answered.

"She has admitted."

"She saved my life, remember?" It surprised me to hear Arthur bring that up. His pride was usually more important than anything else, especially his feelings of friendship toward me.

"Why would she fabricate such a story?" Uther asked of his son.

"As Gaius said… She's mad. And she's dying, father. Gwen is her best friend and Merlynn here figured she can trade in her life for Gwen's, since she's not going to be here much longer."

'_You're so close to the truth, Arthur, and you don't even know it,'_ I thought and looked him in the eye. I saw regret and compassion. 'I will get you out of this', they seemed to be saying.

"Look at her, father. She's pale, sweating, feverish and I've seen her lose her balance for no apparent reason. She's dying and does not want to die in vain." His composure and face were calm; he knew he was right.

"Then why isn't she dead yet?" Uther demanded, "With the others the disease took much less time."

"I've been experimenting on her," Gaius said. "Something I've given her might have slowed the process."

Arthur frowned at me, probably wondering why I would volunteer to be Gaius' guinea pig.

"Don't waste my time again. Let her go," Uther ordered.

"And Gaius? You had better come up with a cure soon!"

Gaius bowed to the king and followed me back to our living quarters.

* * *

"Arthur's an idiot!" I complained when we entered.

"No, he was right to do what he did, and thankfully he saved you from your own stupidity!"

"What else could I do? It's my fault Gwen's going to die!"

"Yes, but you don't prove her innocence by jumping into the flames, you do it by finding out what's causing the disease!"

"Well, one thing's for sure; Arthur's not going to find it. He thinks he is so sharp! Even when I told him I was a sorceress, he still couldn't see it!"

"That's because it's pretty hard to spot," Gaius reasoned, turning to me from where he had been searching for something.

"Maybe I should go around wearing a pointy hat?" I quipped. In reality, I was just angry that Arthur thought so little of me. Just because I was a little clumsy and not always all that serious, didn't mean I couldn't be an all-powerful sorceress, did it? But what worried me was whether Arthur would ever be able to handle the truth: that I could kill him with a flick of my wrist…

"I don't think you'll find one big enough," My uncle quipped right back. "Anyway, forget that, if we're going to save Gwen, we have to find out what's contaminating the water." Serious again, he threw me a bag, putting the keys he had just found in his pocket. I caught it, but started coughing again, which forced me to drop it.

Gaius regarded me with concern. "Maybe I should send word to Hunith…?" he suggested.

"No! I'm not dead yet, and I don't want her to worry unnecessarily. I'll be fine, uncle," I said, but my voice wasn't as strong as it had been a while ago. "Let's go," I said, more firmly. "But before we go, I have to do something." I told him and went to get something from my room.

* * *

I knocked softly on Arthur's door, hoping he was in there.

"Come in," he called.

I peered around the door, not daring to come in any further. "Hello, Arthur," I said hoarsely. Apparently, this disease was affecting my voice now too.

"Merlynn. I thought you'd be with Gaius, finding a cure?"

"We're about to test something, but I need a favour," I said, hoping he wouldn't refuse.

"That depends on what it is." He said with narrowed eyes.

I stepped fully in his room now, Terri following me. "You've probably noticed I'm not well?" I asked rhetorically, but Arthur nodded anyway. "I need you to take care of Terri for a while. Just until Gwen gets out of prison…" I paused and took a deep breath. I needed to get this over with. "Should I die-"

"You won't." he interrupted calmly, still sitting at his desk.

"But if I do, I want you to make sure she's looked after. Can you do that for me?" I asked, tears now in my eyes. Chances were I wasn't going to return, and I needed to be sure Terri would be fine.

"You're not going to die, Merlynn," he said, looking me in the eye, "but if it eases you mind…"

Terri whined. I knelt beside her and took her head in my hands. "You be a good girl, okay, and be nice to Arthur. Despite his flaws he's a good man." I said and turned to look at the man in question.

"And listen to Gwen," I continued, diverting my gaze back to my dog, "and Morgana. I know you don't like her, but she's a friend. And Gaius might need you too. Now stay here, I'll come back for you if I can." I told her and stood up, wiping the tears from my eyes. Terri nodded once, to indicate she'd understood, but kept whining.

"Aren't you being a little overdramatic?" Arthur asked, "It's just a dog." Terri growled half-heartedly at him, but went back to whining at my warning glance.

"No, I'm not," I said simply and went to the door. "Goodbye, Arthur," I whispered, just loud enough for him to hear, before I closed the door behind me and went back to Gaius' study.

* * *

"I'm ready, let's go," I told him, took the bag and made my way to the city's water supply.

Once there, I took the extra torch, lit it and preceded my uncle down the dark stairwell.

It was like walking through a maze, but Gaius seemed to know his way around. I was making a mental map should I ever have to return here without my wise uncle to guide me.

"The water from here supplies the whole town," Gaius explained. "Take a sample." He took the torch from me and I searched for a vial in the bag. Finally curling my fingers around one, I uncorked it and dipped it into the water.

I waited for a few seconds until it was entirely full and put it in the bag. "Let's take it back and examine it," Gaius said, but just as we were turning away from the water, the ugliest creature I had ever seen emerged from it, screeching loudly. Before either of us could react, the creature had already dived back under the surface.

"What the hell was that?" I asked, a little panicky. It _was_ my first monster encounter, not counting Valiant that is.

Gaius didn't answer, but grabbed my arm and pulled me away from there as quickly as possible.

* * *

My uncle and I spent a good few hours in his study, going through all the books concerning magical creatures, until he found what he was looking for.

"Here." He pointed to a specific page in a large tome. "It was an avanck."

"An… A what?" I asked, slightly confused.

I read over his shoulder as he described the monster. "A beast born of clay and conjured up only by the most powerful sorcerer…Now we have to find a way to defeat it…"

Gaius looked up to his balcony of books. "But where?"

I followed his gaze. "That could take days, I'm going to be dead by then."

"Have you got a better idea?" he asked, but I could not answer. I didn't.

I needed fresh air, so I left Gaius to his books and ran outside. On the square, a few guards were preparing the pyre on which Gwen would burn. It made me sick, so I went back to the dungeons.

The girl was lying on the floor, facing the opposite wall.

"Gwen?" I whispered, my voice still hoarse. "I'm going to get you out… I will, I swear. I've already found what's causing this, now all I need to do is stop it, you'll be in your own house in no time."

When she didn't answer, I assumed she was asleep and went to the dragon's cave. If anyone knew how to solve this, it would be him.

"Hello?" I called, and heard my voice echo through the huge cavern. For a moment, no answer came.

"Hello." The dragon replied calmly, sweeping onto the stone in front of me. "The great sorceress returns, like I knew she would." He looked me over for a moment. "You are ill."

"I need to know how to defeat an avanck."

"Do not worry, Merlynn, your destiny has not yet come to pass, you will not die. But, I suppose you do need some help." He smirked, as far as a dragon could smirk, of course.

"Will you help me?" I asked, fighting another wave of nausea and dizziness.

He hesitated for a fraction of a second before replying. "Trust the elements that are at your command," he told me.

"Elements? But what is it I have to do?" I asked, confused. My head was pounding and I was so tired.

"You cannot do this alone. You are but one side of a coin. Arthur is the other," he told me cryptically.

"I… I don't understand, just tell me what it is I have to do." But he wouldn't answer me. He stood on his hind legs and took flight.

"No! Please, help me!" I pleaded.

The dragon turned his head to me. "But I have." Back was the smirk, stronger than ever.

"Oh, yeah, sure, thanks! You've helped me loads!" I said sarcastically, even though I was quite sure he couldn't hear me anymore.

* * *

I hurried back to Gaius' study and got to work. I had to find _something_ on controlling the elements in here. The place held more books than the bloody library!

"Merlynn, what are you doing?" my uncle asked when he entered.

"Looking for a book."

"Care to tell me which one?"

"A book on elements," I told him, not taking my eyes off the books I was looking at.

"Elements?" Gaius asked, surprised.

"Yes, which one would I find them in?"

"Well, most offer a study of base elements that leads to the very heart of the scientific process," he explained. I looked at him for the first time since he had entered.

"But how will they help me kill the avanck?"

"Well, the avanck is a creature made from earth and water, that's two of the four base elements."

"What about the other two? Fire and air? Do you think that if I combine them they will destroy the monster?" I asked.

"Perhaps, yes."

"I don't need a 'perhaps', uncle, I need a 'definitely'," I said.

"Then yes, they will destroy it… How did you find this out, anyway?"

"I just knew, part of my powers maybe?" I lied smoothly.

"What else do your powers tell you?" he enquired.

"That… I am only one side of a coin, the brighter side, obviously." I joked.

"And who's the other side?"

"I think that might be Arthur," I said weakly, holding onto the table for support.

The door banged open and Morgana strode in. "They're bringing forth the execution. We have to prove Gwen's innocence."

"No," I whispered, too quiet for anyone to hear. My legs gave out beneath me and I felt the tears come back. Gaius was immediately by my side.

"Are you alright?" he whispered, to which I nodded.

"I heard you have the disease, I'm so sorry, Merlynn. I wish there was something I could do."

"It's okay, it was just the news… I can't bear to see Gwen executed." _'Especially not because of me,'_ I completed in my head.

"We tried to prove Gwen's innocence, the king won't listen." Gaius said.

"Please, just tell me what I can do to help." She sounded desperate, and Morgana desperate was not something you saw everyday.

I got back to my feet and Gaius handed me a potion. "This will give you a little strength, but only for a short while," He whispered.

"We need Arthur," I told Morgana once I'd downed the potion.

"Arthur?" the lady questioned.

"There's a monster, an avanck, in the water supply, that's what's causing the plague," I said, walking over to her. My strength had returned a little, at least so much that I didn't need someone else to keep me upright.

"We must tell Uther!" she said, but Gaius shook his head.

"The avanck is a creature forged by magic. Telling Uther wouldn't save Gwen, he would just blame her for conjuring it," he explained.

"So what are we to do?" she asked.

"We must destroy it," Gaius said, "Then the plague will stop and Uther… may see sense."

"And that's why you need Arthur," she said, catching on.

"He's our best chance. But he won't want to disobey the king," I said, subtly pushing her in the right direction.

She nodded. "Leave that to me." The lady turned and walked out of the door with a determined step.

Meanwhile Gaius gave me the keys to the catacombs.

* * *

I stood waiting in the courtyard for Morgana and Arthur. I knew Morgana would succeed. In my limited time in Camelot I had seen the lady get whatever she wanted simply by making others think they wanted her to have it.

The strength Gaius' potion had given me was waning; I was sweating and had a little trouble breathing. _'Come on, Morgana, hurry up!'_ I thought. The sight of the pyre was only making me more nauseous.

**

* * *

Arthur POV**

Merlynn was waiting in the square for Morgana and me, just as my foster sister had told me. I had left Merlynn's dog, Terri, in my room, hoping she wouldn't chew through my bedposts.

Merlynn looked blue and very sick, and I doubted she would be of much help to us if there was a creature to be dealt with.

"Merlynn." I nodded. She looked up and smiled slightly before leading us to the catacombs. I drew my sword in advance, showing her I was ready to take action.

When we reached the stairs that led to our destination, I took the torch and let Merlynn lead the way again. Looking closer, I could now see she was also shivering and sweating. Her breathing seemed laboured and for the life of me, I couldn't figure out why she wouldn't just tell me where the beast was, in stead of insisting on leading us there.

"You had better be right about this, Merlynn," I warned her. If this was a wild goose chase and I ended up being humiliated in front of my father again, she would be sorry…. When she got healthy again.

Not too much later, we heard a noise coming from up ahead, a sort of growling. Morgana gasped, but Merlynn barely flinched.

"Both of you should stay here," I said. Two women, one of them ill, would be of no help to me.

"I'm coming with you," Morgana said firmly.

"As am I." Merlynn spoke for the first time, and to be honest I wished she hadn't. Her voice was hoarse and didn't sound like hers anymore. It scared me.

"No, you are not."

"Scared I'll show you up?" Morgana bantered.

"Father will have us both in chains if he knew I'd endangered you."

"Good thing he doesn't know it then." She was trying to be brave, but I knew her well enough to see the fear in her eyes. She just didn't want to let me go alone.

"I'm telling you, Morgana, turn back. You could get hurt."

"So could you, if you don't get out of my way."

I knew I had lost this one, but I sure as hell wasn't going to lead a sick woman into danger. "Fine, but Merlynn, stay. Here. Understand?"

"I'm already dying, what's the point in protecting me? Besides, you need me to show you the way." She stepped around me. It shocked me how easily she could talk about her own death like that. Like it was inevitable.

I didn't reply and followed Morgana and Merlynn deeper into the caverns.

"How are we going to find it?" Morgana asked.

"Let's just hope we do, before it finds us," I replied.

Suddenly, I heard a sound behind me and twisted around fast. "Stop," I said, getting the attention of the other two.

"What is it?" Merlynn whispered, which made her voice sound a little less scary.

I hesitated. Had I really seen something? "It was just a shadow," I said and turned and took the lead again.

**

* * *

Merlynn POV**

We had reached the water supply, but there was no sign of the monster, and I was feeling worse by the second.

"Spread out," Arthur told us and pointed where Morgana was to go. "You're with me, Merlynn." _'Noble 'till the end…'_ I thought. I didn't argue, though, and followed him in one of the passageways.

Despite the dragon's words, I didn't believe I had much chance of surviving tonight. Either the avanck would kill me or the disease it had spread would. I couldn't see much and my vision was starting to blur. I slumped against the wall I had been holding for support.

Arthur looked at me over his shoulder briefly before a growl from the monster right in front of him distracted him. He slashed his sword, but all it hit was empty air. The creature had gone already.

"What is it, are you alright?" Morgana asked, a bit frantically as she came back into the room. I might have laughed if I didn't feel like death itself at the moment.

"I'm fine, but I don't think Merlynn is," he said, pointing his torch in my direction.

Morgana knelt beside me and put her hand on my forehead, only to draw it right back. "I didn't know anyone could get that hot," she said, a deep frown on her face.

"Did you see it, Arthur?" I asked, trying to divert their attention to the problem at hand. Morgana got up and peered into one of the passageways.

"Yes," he said, staring into another.

"Good," I said breathlessly, "kill it."

Arthur was about to respond when Morgana's scream pierced our ears. Arthur made his way quickly to her and held the creature off with his sword and torch. But before he could harm it, the beast had gone again.

Arthur looked from passage to passage. "Where is it?" he asked urgently.

"I think it's gone that way," I said, pulling myself up by the wall and pointing to Arthur's right.

"Stay down," he ordered, and walked into it. I ignored him, and summoned all the strength I had left to follow him and Morgana.

It seemed I was right, as not much later we could hear it close enough. I slid down the wall again and summoned my magic to act when necessary.

Arthur attacked the beast, but soon lost his sword. All he had left to fight with was the torch. _'The torch! Fire!'_

He tried to drive it back a little, but it wasn't working. When the creature stood on its hind legs, ready to strike at Arthur, I yelled as loud as I could: "Arthur, use the torch!"

He did as I asked and held up the torch. I whispered the spell for wind which made the fire grew bigger and engulf the monster. It died with a loud scream. And that was the last thing I heard.

* * *

The first thing I registered was vague whispering. The next was that someone was staring at me.

"No, she's still too weak, we mustn't disturb her," I heard Gaius whisper.

I opened an eye carefully and blinked against the light. Terri was sitting next to my bed and staring at me. Have you ever woken up to someone, even if that someone is a dog, staring at you? Believe me, you don't want to.

She started barking the second she noticed me opening my eyes, but what was worse was when she thought I needed a bath and started licking my face.

"No! Terri, stop! Down, girl!" I said.

"Merlynn!" Gwen exclaimed and hugged me. "Thank you. They told me what you did."

"Who exactly told you?" I asked, sitting up in my bed.

"I've heard everyone's version," she said, pulling back, "You saved my life, Merlynn, thank you."

"Any time," I replied.

Morgana's telltale heels sounded on the floor as she too entered.

"Merlynn, you're awake! Thank god! Arthur's been complaining like mad that you haven't come back to work," she told me with a smile.

"Speaking of him, where is he? Training with his knights?" I asked.

"No, I'm here, you idiot," his sarcastic voice came from behind Morgana. "And I have not been complaining," he said pompously, "a prince doesn't complain, he states a fact."

I rolled my eyes but smiled anyway when Gaius left the crowded room to make space for the prince. Arthur looked at me for one second before diverting his eyes.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"You're not exactly… dressed," he replied, a slight blush on his face.

I smirked at Morgana, who was hiding her smile behind her hand.

"Oh, Arthur," I sang, "want to give me a hug?" I held out my arms teasingly.

At this, he blushed even redder, and simply turned on his heel and strode out of the room.

Gwen, Morgana and I burst out laughing. It wasn't often one could make Arthur Pendragon blush like a schoolgirl.

* * *

**A/N: So what did you think?**

**Just one thing: I only got a few review for my last chapter, though according to story traffic at least 50 people read it (I don't know the exact number)**

**So, if you like this fanfic/chapter, let me know and review! It makes my day and reminds me to write.**

**One more thing: I'm not sure if I want to keep writing every episode like this, but I'll try. I might not write episode 6... I don't know, let me know what you think, if you have an opinion.**

**Review!  
**


	8. The poisoned Chalice

**A/N: Hi everyone! Look! I'm being a good writer! I'm posting on time! Special thanks to my wonderful beta Eilonwyn, without whom, this fanfic wouldn't nearly be as good =)**

**So without further ado; enjoy and R&R!  
**

**8 The poisoned Chalice**

"Good morning, Arthur," I said brightly, walking in with the prince's food. He was already dressed and sat at his desk, bent over some papers.

It was the day after I had woken up, after being in a coma-like state for three days. It felt great to be moving about again, and generally not being sick. Combine that with the sunshine outside and the letter I'd gotten that morning made my day almost perfect.

"Are you dressed this time?" he asked dryly, not looking up from the paperwork.

"No, I decided to walk all the way from my room to the kitchens and then to your chambers dressed in nothing but a scarf," I replied matter-of-factly.

Arthur's head shot up at that but all he was met with was the sight of me, wearing my normal blue dress and laughing at him. "You didn't actually think I'd do that did you?" I asked, trying to control my laughter. With one hand I took the paperwork from him and with the other I put his tray of food down.

"It couldn't hurt to look. Besides, a woman's mind is too complicated to even try to understand," he quipped.

"Oh, you only think that because men are such simple creatures," I replied, starting to clean up his room.

"Touché," he said with a smile.

"So I hear King Bayard of Mercia will be arriving soon?" I enquired, changing the subject.

"So that's why you're so cheery today, you're looking forward to the feast," Arthur guessed.

I snorted. "Oh, please. The day I look forward to a feast is the day I get to attend them like you and Morgana can –_without_ working. No, I was just making conversation."

"No, there's something else… What is it?"

I rolled my eyes. "If you really must know… I got a letter from my home village today," I told him, my grin widening.

"Your mother?" he asked.

"No… From Will, my boyfriend… Though my mother did add a paragraph or two."

"That's odd…" he said, frowning.

"What is?" I asked.

"Not a lot of commoners can read and write…"

"My mother taught most children in our village, and she learned it from her older brother, Gaius," I explained.

"Oh, right… I forget that sometimes…" Arthur said with a frown, but it disappeared quickly as he changed the subject, "Speaking of Bayard, I need you to clean and mend my clothes, they arrive tomorrow morning."

"Yes, sire. And yes, I will find time to polish your armour while helping the other servants clean the castle. I'll be back by noon with your lunch, sire," I said, still cheery. Nothing could bring down my spirits today.

* * *

So maybe nothing was a little much. Gwen had gotten hold of the letter and had showed it to Morgana. Needless to say, the two women had teased me mercilessly. Not that they didn't have reason to, though. Will had written poetry, which I thought was very beautiful and romantic. Apparently, they didn't think so.

"Please, can I have it back? I need to get Arthur his lunch and I'm not leaving that letter here with you!" I said firmly.

"Fine." Morgana handed me the item, still snickering. Gwen tried to smile sympathetically, but failed miserably and had to hide her grin behind her hands.

"I just hope Arthur won't get lost in those 'deep pools of blue that are your eyes'." Morgana started laughing again.

"Oh, you're just jealous that someone goes through the trouble of writing me poetry when no one does for you!" I regretted saying that the moment I had. Gwen's smile disappeared abruptly and Morgana was quiet now too.

"Get out," she said icily.

"Morgana, I'm so sorry, I-"

"I said get out!" the lady screamed.

I shot her one last apologetic look before making my way to the kitchens.

* * *

"Hello, sire," I said glumly, walking in with a tray.

"What happened to you?" he asked from where he stood by his bed.

"I got into a fight with Morgana," I replied, setting his meal down onto the table.

He sat down and dug in. "That why you're upset? I get into fights with her all the time, it'll blow over. Now cheer up, you're depressing me."

"Not like this one, you haven't. I… insulted her…"

Arthur sighed and looked at me. "What happened?" he asked. I could tell he wasn't really interested, but I didn't care.

"She and Gwen were reading my letter and laughing, so I go angry and I may have said that Morgana was jealous because she didn't have someone do that for her…" I explained.

"You're right, you're a dead woman. No one _ever_ insults Morgana's abilities of getting a man to do _anything_ for her. Did you apologise?"

"I tried to, but I was afraid she might kill me. And now I feel guilty."

"Forget about it. You know Morgana's temper, she'll try to prove you wrong at the feast tomorrow and when she has, you just admit defeat and then all will be behind you. Now, go do something, I have to meet with my father." He was already getting up before I stopped him.

"Thank you for the advice, Arthur. Now allow me to do the same," I said, holding him down with one hand on his shoulder, "Eat up that food and _then_ go see your father. You'll need the energy."

The prince rolled his eyes and stuck out his tongue at me like the _oh-so-mature_ man he was, but relented and ate his lunch.

"Good boy, now you can go and play."

I was just about to leave when I remembered something. "Speaking of going and playing, where's Terri?"

* * *

I couldn't help but laugh as I saw Terri drag a servant across the grass in the castle garden.

"Terri!" I yelled. She perked up her ears and bounded over to me immediately.

As she was jumping up, trying to lick my face, the servant who had been walking her gained his breath.

"Sit, Terri, and stop barking please?" I said to my overenthusiastic puppy. Actually, I had to stop calling her that. She might've still been young, but she was growing fast.

"Thank you… for stopping it," the man said to me, panting heavily.

"Excuse me?" I replied indignantly. "It? This dog is a girl, named Terri. She's not an object." Who did this man think he was, insulting my friend like that?

"I'm sorry, I didn't know," the man answered, looking a bit flustered. He handed me the leash to Terri's collar. She growled at it.

"Oh, don't worry, sweetheart. There you go," I said, taking the collar and leash off of her.

"My name's George, by the way," the man said.

"Mine isn't," I told him, not looking up from my dog, as I scratched her behind the ears.

"No, that'd be a bit strange," George said and smiled.

I sighed and finally looked at him. "My name's Merlynn, but I really have to go now, so… bye." I turned and left with Terri walking right beside me.

* * *

I didn't have much time for Terri that day though, since every hand that was available had to help prepare the castle for the guests who would be arriving tomorrow. Gwen and I were currently decorating the banquet hall with flowers and banners. So Terri had to stay with Gaius as he went through his usual rounds before going to the forest to pick some more herbs.

Generally, life was boring, until the following morning, that is.

* * *

King Bayard and his entourage had arrived at Camelot, where the entire royal court was waiting for them in the throne ceremony room. It was a little comical, really, seeing everyone so serious as the blue kingdom (Mercia) met the red (Camelot).

Uther said a few words, before the two kings shook hands and everyone started applauding. Only, nobody looked very relaxed.

A while later, I was carrying a heavy bag through the hallways on my way to the banquet hall. Gaius passed me and I muttered: "Why do I always get landed with the donkey work?"

"You're a servant, Merlynn, it's what you do," he replied with a grin on his face.

"My arms will be a foot longer by the time I get this lot inside," I complained.

"It's character building. As the old proverb says: hard work breeds… a harder soul," he said, clearly lying.

"There is no way that is a proverb, you just made that up."

"I didn't!" He was replying indignantly when a young serving girl from King Bayard's kingdom fell in front of his feet.

"Sorry," she apologised, and started to pick up the things she had dropped.

"That's alright," I replied.

"Excuse me," she apologised again.

"Here, let me give you a hand," I offered and bent down to help her. She looked up into my eyes and I felt some kind of connection to her, like I knew her in a past life. I realised I was staring, so I shook my head and got up.

"Hi," I said to her, "I'm Merlynn."

"Cara," she replied and shook my offered hand. "You're Arthur's servant. That must be such an honour."

"Yeah, sometimes, but you know, someone's got to keep the place running," I said jokingly. Behind the woman, Gaius raised his eyebrows sarcastically. I suppose he missed the humour in it…

"Thank you, Merlynn," Cara said, looking at the pillow in my hands.

"Hm? Oh, sorry, I hadn't noticed it. I can be so forgetful sometimes," I apologised, placing the item on top of the pile in her arms.

"It was nice meeting you," she said. I nodded once and Cara made to leave, but I decided to ask then.

"Hey, Cara?" The girl in question stopped and turned. "Have I met you before? I have a feeling I know you…"

Cara looked briefly surprised and slightly annoyed, but covered it up soon enough. "No, I don't think so, I've lived in Mercia all my life as a serving girl. Unless you've been to the Mercian court before, I don't think we have met," she said and was on her way again.

"Strange…" I whispered, staring at the girls back, thinking.

"Shouldn't you be busy running the place?" Gaius mocked, a grin on his face.

* * *

Not too much later, I was in Arthur's room, looking at his ceremonial clothes. When I put them down on the table, a cloud of foul-smelling dust flew up in my face. Terri was resting on the rug in front of the fireplace, after running around all morning.

"Oh… god! When were these last cleaned?" I asked, not a little bit disgusted.

"Last year some time, before the feast of Beltane," Arthur replied.

"Did it end in a food fight?" I asked, taking the jacket and helping Arthur into it.

"Don't all feasts?" he replied.

"I wouldn't know. The airs and graces of the court are a mystery to me," I said truthfully.

"Tonight it won't be," Arthur said, picking _something_ from his jacket.

"I'm going to be at the banquet?" I asked, not sure if I was all that happy about it.

"Not quite," the prince clarified, giving up on the piece of _something_ stuck to his vest.

"You'll be there to make sure my cup doesn't run dry," he smirked. "If I have to sit through Bayard's boring speeches, I don't see why you should get out of it."

"Oh, poor lonely Arthur wants company. Why don't you ask Morgana, she has a killer sense of humour, she's great company. Though she's also stubborn and slightly manipulative… Actually your personalities are quite similar. You could be brother and sister," I said with a smile as Arthur continued to study his vest.

"Exactly. I see Morgana as my annoying little sister, so there's no way I'd take her to a banquet. And I don't need your company," he replied, looking a bit miffed.

I wisely held my tongue as Arthur folded and handed me the vest. "Be sure to polish the buttons," he said.

He got behind his dressing screen while I gathered his dirty clothes and stuffed them into a basket to be washed.

"Oh, Arthur?" I had forgotten to ask him something.

"What?"

"Will these clothes do, or do I need to change?" I asked, gesturing to my blue dress.

"No, blue's Mercia's colour. Wear red, and preferably not a working dress. And Merlynn?"

"Yes?"

"You should be glad you're not a male servant."

"Excuse me?"

"You're excused," he said, not explaining what he had meant.

I shrugged it off and headed over to where Terri lay. "Terri, come on, girl, time to head home." I touched her back, but she was fast asleep. "Arthur? Do you mind if…"

"Do I look like a dog-walker to you?" he replied sarcastically from behind the dressing screen.

"No, but then you're going to have to carry the basket of dirty clothes," I reasoned.

"Can't you do it in two goes?" He complained.

"No, then I wouldn't have enough time to wash all these clothes. And you said yourself she couldn't stay here."

The prince poked his head around the screen. "Oh, fine! Give me a hand with this shirt and I'll carry the damn beast."

I smiled and headed over. I'd been Arthur's servant for a while, but he always did his dressing himself, so I hadn't ever seen him without a shirt. And my, was he a sight to behold. He stood with his back to me, so he couldn't see me gawking, but I'm sure he had sensed it.

"Are you staring?" I could hear the self-satisfied smirk in his words.

"Merely admiring, sire. You do a lot of training," I replied, getting over my amazement.

"Am I that admirable?" he asked as I took a shirt from his drawers.

"You're okay, I suppose, but I like much more ordinary men, like Will." I wasn't about to let that head of his get any bigger.

He didn't reply while I pulled the shirt over his head and helped him dress.

Not too much later we arrived at Gaius' chamber, even though it seemed like forever with all Arthur's complaining about how heavy Terri was. "Well, you shouldn't have let her run so much this morning, then she wouldn't be this tired and she'd have been able to walk here herself," I said crossly when he said Terri shouldn't be sleeping at this hour of day.

I opened the door and let Arthur in. "Where do I put her?" he asked.

"In my room; on the blanket on the floor," I replied and followed him in to gather some of my own clothes to get washed.

Arthur sat down on my bed and looked through my small room. I was suddenly grateful that Gaius had ordered me to clean it last night.

"How come there's not much personal stuff in here? No flowers, no trinkets or jewellery…"

"I don't have time to pick flowers or buy them, I haven't been here too long, so trinkets are out and jewellery? Arthur, do you really think that I could afford that? Or even if I could, that I would wear it? It would be much too precious."

"You always wear that necklace," he said, gesturing toward my neck. I knew the carved butterfly Will had given me hung there.

"It was a gift."

"From whom?"

"From who do you think?" I shot back. "Now if you would please leave, sire, I have chores to do."

He held up his hands in surrender and left. I sighed and picked up the basket of dirty laundry and went to wash it.

* * *

That night, a little while before the feast was about to start, I was in Arthur's room again, waiting. He was behind the dressing screen, where he had been since I had entered.

"Are you nearly finished?" I asked.

"Yes, I'm finished," he replied, annoyed, and finally came from behind the screen. He looked at me and raised his eyebrows slightly. "You look nice."

"Thank you, so do you," I replied. I had been working on a red dress with Gwen for about a month now. She and Morgana had decided I needed a red dress, to match the Camelot colours, but I refused to take another of Morgana's hand-me-downs. So Gwen, being one of Camelot's finest seamstresses, offered to help me make my own dress.

It wasn't finery like Morgana always wore, but it wasn't as simple as Gwen's dresses. It was comfortable and playful, and that was all I cared about.

"Are you ready to go?" I asked the prince who was now looking in a mirror, trying to do his hair. "Oh, let me do that," I said and stepped forward. Where he had been trying to get his hair straight, I tousled it slightly to make it look like an organised mess.

"There, now let's go!" I said, getting more irritated by the minute.

"Are you sure this outfit is all right? I could change-" He was trying to annoy me, and it was working.

I interrupted him. "Arthur Pendragon, do _not_ make me drag you to that feast! Because I will!" I said angrily and through clenched teeth.

"Don't get your knickers in a twist. I was only teasing." He said with lazy smile on his lips.

I mumbled something under my breath that surely would have gotten me thrown in the stocks had Arthur heard.

* * *

Not too much later, the treaty between the two kingdoms had been signed and Bayard was giving one of his infamously boring speeches. I found myself staring at the girl again and wondering where this bond came from.

She made her way to me with a hastened pace and I frowned.

"Merlynn, I need to speak to you." She sounded anxious for some reason.

"What is it?"

"Not here, please, I don't know who else to tell." Cara sounded so desperate that I took her by the hand and lead her away from the banquet hall to one of the quieter hallways.

"It wasn't until I saw him give the goblet to Arthur that I realized."

"Wow, slow down. Start from the beginning," I told her.

"Two days ago, I was bringing Bayard his evening meal. I was supposed to knock, he didn't expect me to walk in-"

"What are you trying to say?" I tried to make sense of what she meant, but her bits of story didn't mean anything to me.

"If he knows I said anything, he will kill me!" Cara seemed genuinely scared for her life.

"I will not let that happen, I promise," I said truthfully and looked her in the eye. It was only now that I realized they were nearly the same colour as mine. "Please tell me what you saw."

"Bayard is no friend of Camelot. He craves the kingdom for himself!"

"Cara… Tell me, what has Bayard done with the goblet?" I asked. I desperately needed to know whether Arthur's life was in danger or not.

"He believes that if he kills Arthur, Uther's spirit will be broken and Camelot will fall!"

"What has he done with the goblet?" I asked urgently. Arthur _was_ in danger.

"I saw him putting something in it."

"What?"

"I shouldn't, he'll kill me!" At that moment I was ready to throttle the girl, bond or no. Couldn't she just tell me so I could go rescue Arthur again?

"Just tell me!" I nearly yelled. Then the puzzle fell into place. "Was it poison?"

She nodded and I didn't think twice. I ran back to the hall as fast as I could. Just as the toast had been made, I burst into the hall yelling: "Stop! It's poison! Don't drink it!" I snatched the goblet from Arthur's hand and was relieved to see he had yet to drink from it.

I stood in the middle of the hall, all eyes on me, listening to the intense silence.

"What?" Uther asked.

"Merlynn! What are you doing?" Arthur asked, probably afraid I was going to embarrass him.

"Bayard laced Arthur's goblet with poison!" I explained.

"This is an outrage!" Bayard exclaimed and drew his sword, causing all of his own knights –and Camelot's –to draw theirs as well.

"Tell your men to put down their swords!" Uther ordered as the guards came running in. "You're outnumbered."

"I will not allow this insult to go unchallenged!" Bayard stated.

"On what grounds do you base this accusation?" Uther asked me, but before I could answer Arthur had walked over.

"I'll handle this. Merlynn, you idiot! Have you been at the sloe gin again?" He asked, obviously not believing me. He led me to stand in front of his father and took the goblet from my hands.

"Unless you want to be strung up, you will tell me why you think it's been poisoned now," he said in a dangerously low voice, though I was absolutely certain that every person in the hall had heard it.

"He was seen lacing it," I told him, trying to suppress a shudder from looking into those cold eyes.

"By whom?" he asked. I had hoped he wouldn't, but it was inevitable.

I hesitated. "I can't say."

"I won't listen to this any more," Bayard announced.

"Pass me the goblet," Uther ordered. "If you're telling the truth-"

"I am," Bayard interrupted.

"Then you have nothing to fear, do you?" Uther asked, holding out the goblet.

Bayard considered for a moment, before sheathing his sword (causing all the other knights in the hall to do the same) and making for the goblet.

"No. If this does prove to be poison, I want the pleasure of killing you myself," Uther said and now turned to me. "She'll drink it."

"But if it is poisoned, she'll die!" Arthur argued.

"Then we'll know she was telling the truth." That was Uther's only reply as he continued to stare into my eyes. I took the goblet from him.

"And what if she lives?" Bayard questioned.

"Then you have my apologies and you can do with her as you will," Uther replied. I shuddered briefly at the image in my mind, but shrugged it off. I was completely sure of myself.

"Uther, please, she's just a girl! She doesn't know what she's saying!" my uncle protested.

"Then you should have schooled her better," Uther replied coldly.

"Merlynn! Apologise! This is a mistake! I'll drink it!" Arthur made for the goblet but I got it out of his reach.

"No, no, no, no, no… It's… It's all right," I said.

"Merlynn, please, perhaps Arthur is right, put down the goblet," Morgana pleaded.

"I know what I'm doing, my lady, don't worry," I said, deliberately using her title.

I looked Bayard right in the eyes as I brought the goblet to my lips. From the corner of my eyes, I could see Gwen taking a few steps forward, as if to stop me, but she halted by Morgana's side.

I closed my eyes and took a large sip. But… I didn't feel anything.

"It's fine," I said, surprised. Had Cara lied to me?

"She's all yours," Uther told Bayard.

But then something changed, something was horribly wrong. I had trouble breathing, and from my throat out a terribly burning sensation started.

"Arthur," I managed to choke out. I looked at him with panicked eyes and saw him realize what was going on. I couldn't breathe! I had to breathe!

* * *

My muscles refused to work with me then. I crumpled to the floor and let the darkness take me.

Beyond the pain I was vaguely aware of a strong man carrying me. His arms were wrapped around me and now cradled me to his chest. I could barely breathe and everything hurt. I only saw darkness and had no strength left in me. Fire was burning me alive, from the inside, and there was nothing I could do to stop it.

Next thing I knew, the warm arms were gone, replaced by a hard surface, possibly a servant's bed. Unfortunately, the pain only grew worse.

A very short while later, I heard a voice, Arthur's voice. "I will get that flower, and you will get better, you understand me? I will not let you die!" It came from very far away, but I held onto it, it was all I had. Then the warmth was back for a second, and then it was gone again, and I knew Arthur would save me.

I don't know how long I lay there, trying to cope with the pain, when the visions came. Through the darkness, as if through a black mist, I saw Arthur. But I only saw flashes: Arthur riding horseback, Arthur fighting a creature, Arthur talking to a girl... I knew that girl, I felt a connection. Cara.

"Arthur, no… It's a … trap… trap, no, don't…" I heard myself mutter. My mind was reeling with spells I had read and even spells I hadn't, spells that were stored deep within my consciousness. The blackness was creeping along the edges of the visions, but I fought it away. I had to keep fighting, for Arthur. He needed me!

Arthur was in a cave with Cara now, following her as she led him through the maze. Vaguely, I heard my uncle's voice from somewhere far away. "Merlynn, you must fight it!" he said.

What did he think I was doing? Sunbathing? But I ignored Gaius for the time being and focussed on the visions through the pain. It had become worse over the past… I didn't even know how much time had passed. It could have been years, but it could just as well have been seconds…

Arthur was now at the edge of a deep abyss, and the only way to the wall across from it was a narrow protrusion of the rock. It seemed like he wanted the flower that grew there.

"No, please, Arthur…" I muttered.

Now Arthur hung from an edge on the opposite wall. Cara was smiling evilly as a giant spider crept closer to him.

Cara had left with the torch now, and Arthur was left alone to deal with the eight-legged monsters in the dark. This time the image moved, unlike the others.

"Arthur… It's too dark… Too dark… _fromum fiogiftum fiether perme_." I muttered, using a spell I had never cast before, a spell that created an orb of light.

**

* * *

Arthur POV**

I was struggling to hold on, but I couldn't see where to put my feet or move my hands. Suddenly an orb of bluish light floated up to me.

"Come on then!" I yelled at it. "What are you waiting for? Finish me off!" But the orb simply floated above my head, illuminating my position. I figured it couldn't hurt to get on steady ground, so I pulled myself up.

Once on the narrow ledge I looked around for a way out, the orb lighting my way. But suddenly I saw the flower Merlynn needed.

"Leave them," a voice whispered. It seemed to come from the orb.

"Merlynn?" I asked, frowning. I was sure it was her voice, though it sounded feeble and far away. I shook my head to clear it; I must've been mistaken. A sound from beneath me made me look down. The spider's friends were coming up. _'Damn! Why can't this just be easy?'_ I thought.

"Go, save yourself!" the voice whispered.

I made up my mind and climbed as fast as I could to the flower.

"Follow the light!" It was slightly scary how much the voice sounded like my maidservant.

The orb floated over to the flower and showed me the best places to put my hands and feet. I tried to grab the flower, but it was just out of reach. I made a final effort and with a grunt, I had the flower in my hand. Quickly but carefully stuffing it in a pouch on my belt, I followed the light up.

"Faster! Go faster!"

I pulled off my gloves with my teeth and threw them away, into the depth.

"Follow the light!" The voice sounded desperate.

"I'm trying, Merlynn!" I found myself saying. At that moment, I didn't care that I was probably talking to myself, that the voice was more than likely just a figment of my imagination. I could almost feel Merlynn's presence there, I remembered how she had looked when I left, and I found new strength.

"Move! Climb!"

I did the best I could, moved faster then I thought possible on such a wall, but the spiders were gaining when I saw an opening to the outside. The orb stayed close now, floating by my head as I pulled myself onto solid ground.

I lay there for a while, letting my arms rest and taking comfort in the presence of the light. While it floated serenely above me, I stared at it. It was beautiful and felt familiar, and then I thought of Merlynn again, and how she had drunk from the goblet for me and how she was dying at this very moment.

I pulled myself up again and searched for my horse. I rode back to Camelot as fast as I could, with a small orb of bluish light following me.

It disappeared once I came closer to the city though, but I could still feel the presence… up until I was in the cells.

**

* * *

Merlynn POV**

I let the orb stay near Arthur to give him strength and to let him know he wasn't alone until I couldn't hold it any longer.

I felt I was dying. I was in enormous pain, and my strength was waning. The darkness would soon come to take me, and I would welcome it, now that I knew Arthur was safe. Gwen and Gaius would take care of him, and Morgana would too. After all, they were siblings in all but blood.

But then another vision came to me. Arthur was talking to his father, he was in one of the cells. "Put me in the stocks for a week, a month even! I don't care. Just make sure that flower gets to Gaius. I'm begging you," he told his father. I was touched Arthur cared so much.

But Uther crumpled the flower. "No!" Arthur rushed forward, but it was too late.

"You have to learn there's a right and a wrong way of doing things," Uther said calmly. "I'll see you let out in a week." He walked out and dropped the flower outside of Arthur's cell. "Then you can find yourself another servant."

I could tell Arthur was seething, and I stretched out my presence to calm him. His face visibly relaxed.

Once his father was out of range, he lay on the floor and reached for the flower through the bars of his cell.

The vision ended.

* * *

I blinked. A very odd sight met my eyes: Gwen was sobbing on Gaius's shoulder and he pressed his lips to the top of her head. Morgana sat on a chair next to them, her head in her hands, and Terri lay on my legs. I said the first thing that came to mind.

"That's disgusting. You should be ashamed of yourself, you're old enough to be her grandfather," I said with a tired grin. Everything still hurt and I felt as if I hadn't slept in three years, but at least the creeping darkness was now gone.

"Merlynn! You're alive!" he said, emotion heavy in his voice. Gwen smiled and Morgana looked up, hope shining in both of their eyes. Terri barked loudly and looked as if she was ready to start jumping on me, but was too afraid of hurting me.

"No, I'm a ghost comeback to haunt you," I joked, fighting to keep my eyes open.

Gwen laughed and gave me a hug. "I thought you were dead," she whispered tearfully in my ear.

"I'm not that easy to get rid of," I said, pulling back from the hug, only to get one from Morgana.

"Don't you ever do that again!" she chastised mildly, wiping away the tears that had fallen.

"What happened?" I asked, "I remember drinking the poison, but then… nothing…" I remembered everything I had seen, of course, but that could have just been the fever.

"Well… Arthur carried you here, Gaius determined what the poison was and what was needed to prepare an antidote, Arthur went to get it while Gwen, Gaius and I took turns at watching you. Then Arthur returned and was thrown in jail and Gwen went to get the flower under the pretence of bringing him food. Gaius finished the antidote and here we are." Morgana answered brightly.

'_So all of it was true?'_ I thought.

"I should go and see him…" I mused.

"Oh, no, you're staying here to rest!" Gaius ordered.

"But he saved my life, and I feel fine!" I argued and tried to get to my feet, only to have to lean on Gwen for support.

"No, you don't. And you saved his too, so you're even. Now I must speak with the king. You two make sure she doesn't leave," Gaius said to Gwen and Morgana, giving me a warning look.

We lapsed into an uncomfortable silence. Just to have something to do, I scratched Terri behind the ears. The argument between Morgana and me was still heavy on my shoulders.

"Morgana?" I asked timidly.

"Yes, Merlynn?"

"I… Are you still angry with me?"

She smiled warmly at me. "Of course not. When my friends get into life-or-death situations, I tend to let those things go. It seems so silly now…"

I couldn't help the grin forming on my face. "You're the best, Morgana, and I shouldn't have said that."

"Merlynn, it's water under the bridge, forget about it."

I nodded and smiled.

"My lady? We should leave, let Merlynn rest," Gwen suggested.

Morgana smiled at her maid and got up to leave.

I was left alone with my thoughts. The dragon wasn't kidding when he said I was one side of a coin. Arthur and I had some kind of bond, of that I was sure now. But what was I supposed to do?

I fell asleep not too much later with those thoughts still in my mind.

**

* * *

Arthur POV**

Father had let me out and summoned me to the castle walls, where we had a good view of the leaving king and his court.

I was standing with Morgana when she broke the silence first. "Okay, let the bragging begin. How did you manage it?"

"I'm not sure. All I do know is that I had help," I told her, thinking of the blue orb. I was going to have to ask Merlynn about that.

At her enquiring gaze, I explained further. "Someone knew I was in trouble and sent a light… to guide the way…" I was sure Morgana would roll her eyes or tell me not to be stupid, that she wouldn't believe me, but all she asked was who had sent it.

I kept looking forward as I replied. "I don't know. But whoever t was… I'm only here because of them."

"I'm glad you're back," she told me and left. I didn't answer and simply kept staring at some point in the distance. Father took this opportunity to talk to me.

"Arthur?" he called and walked over. I directed my attention to him. "The women you met in the forest… What did she tell you?"

I was still angry with him for nearly letting Merlynn die, so I looked forward again, not wanting to meet his eye. "Not much. She was too busy trying to get me killed," I told him. "It was strange though…"

"In what way?" Father asked.

"I was at her mercy. She could have finished me off but she chose not to. She said it wasn't my destiny to die at her hand."

"You must've been scared?" he asked.

"It had its moments," I admitted.

"Those who practise magic know only evil, they despise and seek to destroy goodness wherever they find it," he said, and I couldn't help but silently disagree. The light had definitely been magical, but it had helped me, saved my life even. Why was my father so bitter towards magic?

"Which is why she wanted you dead. She _is_ evil," Father finished.

"Sounds as if you know her?" I voiced my thoughts.

"I do," he answered, surprising me. "To know the heart of one sorceress is to know them all," he clarified.

"You did the right thing, even though you were disobeying me." I couldn't help a small smile; after all, it wasn't often Uther Pendragon admitted he was wrong.

"I'm proud of you, Arthur, never forget that," Father said and I nodded, though I thought: _'What has he been drinking?'_

* * *

I decided it was time to see Merlynn; I hadn't seen her since I had told her I'd get that flower, and that I wouldn't let her die. She was sitting at the table in Gaius' study, a blanket around her shoulders as she tried to hold on to her cup of water.

"Still alive then?" I asked dryly, though I was happy to see her up and about.

She smiled tiredly and replied: "Yeah, just about… I understand I've you to thank for that?" She put down her cup and faced me fully as I sat down on the chair next to her.

"Yeah, well, it was nothing. A half-decent servant is hard to come by," I said, shrugging it off.

"It's my life, Arthur, it's hardly nothing. And Morgana already told me what you told her. That you were nearly killed."

"As I said; nothing." I smiled. "I was just dropping by to make sure you're alright. You should be back to work tomorrow," I said and got up.

"Actually, Merlynn has to stay here for another two days, sire, I'm sorry." Gaius had been standing near the door, collecting his things for his daily rounds but disappeared into his storage closet before I could protest.

"Thank you, Arthur," Merlynn said, getting up from where she was seated. She surprised me by standing on her tiptoes and kissing my cheek.

"Euhm, you too," I replied awkwardly.

"You know, that's twice I've saved your life," she said, sitting back down.

"I've saved your life _and_ defied my father. That counts as two, we're even," I countered with a smile and followed her example.

"Oh, that's not fair! I can start like that too. I pulled you out of the way of a dagger, I warned you about Valiant's snakes, I helped you kill the avanck and now I've drunk a goblet of poison for you. I think I won," she said and tried to lift her cup again.

I reached over and took it from her hands. "Come on, you little baby, let me do that," I said and held the cup to her lips. She looked at me with narrowed eyes but drank anyway.

"Thank you," she whispered.

"Get some rest," I said, got up and walked out.

**

* * *

Merlynn POV**

I smiled as Gaius walked back into the main room. "Arthur may give you a hard time, but at heart he's a man of honour. There aren't many who would risked what he did for a servant," he said.

"It all would have been for nothing if you didn't know how to make the antidote," I reasoned as he put a plate of food in front of me.

"Eat you dinner," he replied, smiling softly.

"I still don't understand why she went through all that trouble to frame Bayard," I mused, "she could've just kept quiet and killed Arthur,"

"But destroying Arthur and Camelot wasn't all she was after. She knew you would be forced to drink that wine. It was you who she wanted to kill," he said, looking me in the eye. "It seems someone else knows you're destined for greatness, Merlynn."

* * *

**A/N: So, leave a review and tell me what you think! Quick question; add a mep now or after 'Lancelot'?**

**Review! It makes me write!  
**


	9. Lancelot part 1

**A/N: I am so sorry it took so long, and I won't bore you with my excuses. One thing though; only four reviews? I know for a fact that over 571 people (and that's hits not visitors) read this fanfic, but only four of you reviewed. That's less that 0.7% ...  
But fot those who did review; thanks! You made my day!**

**Enjoy the chapter!  
**

**9 Lancelot part 1**

It had been three weeks since I had woken up from my comatose state induced by the poison in the chalice and I was feeling much better.

It was a bright and beautiful morning when Gaius sent me to pick mushrooms while that lazy dog of mine was sleeping in my room.

Arthur was training with his knights, so I had a few moments off, but my uncle figured I needed to have something to do with my time. So there I was bending down and putting the mushrooms I'd picked in a bag.

Luckily, it was a warm day, so I could enjoy the sunshine while doing this stupid chore.

A horrible screeching made me jump and I turned to see a beast running towards me. I could have sworn my heart skipped a beat. The beast screeched again and the sound made my skin crawl. As I scrambled to get away, a thought fluttered through my head. _'What if I die?'_

I fell down and rolled on my back, looking up in horror as the beast got ready to strike. Closing my eyes, I honestly thought I would die lying there, like a scared animal.

Out of nowhere, a man appeared who drove the creature back, swinging his sword around. When the blade hit the beast it didn't draw blood as it would have with any normal creature, instead it broke. He turned and yelled: "Run! Run!" and helped me up, sprinting over to a fallen log, with me right behind him. We jumped behind it and the creature took flight, giving up the hunt.

"It's gone," I whispered and looked at the man. He was quite handsome and looked strong. I shook myself from my reverie; now was not the time to be listening to my hormones.

"You saved my life," I said, still breathing heavily.

Now he turned to me as well, but didn't reply. "I'm Merlynn," I said, holding out my hand for him to shake.

"Lancelot," he replied. But not a second later, his head rolled backwards and I could see blood on his tunic.

'_Oh, crap.'_

* * *

Somehow, I managed to get the unconscious Lancelot close enough to the city that a few citizens could hear me yell and helped me carry him to Gaius.

My uncle looked him over and treated the wound and Terri, who had woken due to the commotion, looked on quietly from a corner of the room.

"The wound itself is superficial, the fever will pass. He should be fine in the morning," Gaius told me.

I stared at the man's face. He _was_ handsome, but looked as though he'd been working all his life, so he was probably a peasant from one of the outlining villages. I had no idea what he was doing here, or why he had bothered saving a serving girl's life, but I was grateful nonetheless.

* * *

Arthur was training with his younger knights again, and since I was a danger only to myself with a sword in my hands, I had time to take care of our guest.

"Ever since I was a child I dreamed of coming here. It's my life's ambition to join the knights of Camelot," Lancelot said when I asked him why he was here. I sat on a chair mending one of Arthur's tunics while Lancelot stared out of the window, overlooking the city.

I smiled at him when he turned to me. Absentmindedly, I petted Terri's head, which was resting on my knee.

"I know what you're thinking; I expect too much. After all, who am I? They have their pick of the best and bravest in the land," he said, turning back to the window.

"Lancelot," I interrupted him.

"Yes?"

"They are going to love you," I said, a smile still on my face.

"They are?" he asked uncertainly, stepping back from the window.

"I've seen you in action, you could shame the great Arthur himself." Terri lifted her head and let out a bark that sounded suspiciously like a laugh.

He smiled at my compliment, but that smile faded quickly. "I hardly think so."

"In fact… You know what I'm going to do? I'm going to talk to him right now," I said, got up and walked to the door. The Rottweiler hesitated before deciding to follow me.

"You know Arthur?" Lancelot asked incredulously.

"Oh yes," I said smiling and made my way over to the training field, leaving a dumbfounded Lancelot behind.

"Well, come on then!" I said over my shoulder and the man shook himself and followed .

* * *

Arthur was giving one of his trainees the final test: the man had to last one minute in free combat against Arthur himself. He didn't stand a chance.

Lancelot and I looked on from the side, wincing as the trainee went down. The surrounding knights applauded and more than a few serving girls who had stopped to watch giggled. Lancelot looked a bit paler then before, but I was sure that was just nerves. Terri licked his shaking hands lightly, trying to comfort him.

I left Lancelot to make his own way back to my chambers and went to help Arthur.

"Grimmond is the third to fail this month!" Arthur told me, annoyed. "How am I to defend Camelot with rubbish like that?" We were walking through the lower town, on our way to the armoury, while Terri was chasing a butterfly up ahead.

"I think I might be able to help," I told him.

"You, Merlynn? You haven't the faintest idea what it takes to be a knight. Courage, fortitude, discipline…" he listed, putting his sword on top of the armour I was already carrying.

"Not me, Arthur, obviously. But I do know someone who does."

"Yeah?"

"He saved my life."

Arthur stopped walking and frowned. "Why did your life need saving? _Again_?"

"That doesn't matter. What _does_ is that he's really good."

He started walking again. "That's great, Merlynn, I'm sure he's terrific, but you forget the first code of Camelot."

"The what?" I asked, completely lost.

"The first code; only those of noble blood can serve as knights… So, unless your friend is a nobleman-"

"He is," I interrupted. Of course I was lying, but Arthur wasn't going to find out. There were so many noblemen Arthur hadn't met, there was no way he was going to find out.

"Is he?" Arthur asked, sounding slightly surprised.

"Absolutely," I said.

"Very well, bring him to the training ground tomorrow, and make sure he brings a seal of nobility." Arthur turned and walked away from me.

"Thanks, Arthur! You won't regret it!" I yelled after him.

Terri stopped playing around and turned to follow Arthur. "Terri, where are you going?" I asked.

The dog simply held her head to the side.

"Oh, fine, go play, but don't annoy him too much, I need him to be in a good mood!" Before I'd even finished speaking, she had ran forward to follow Arthur.

Some people in the street were looking at me weirdly. "What? Never seen a girl talk to her dog before?" I snapped and went on to the armoury to polish the prat's armour.

* * *

"Well, did you speak to him?" Lancelot asked once I got back. He was all nerves, so I put on a sad face to fool him.

"Euhm…" I said, shaking my head a little. Lancelot deflated immediately.

"He said he'd like to meet you," I said, smiling.

"Yes!" he exclaimed and put his hands on my shoulders. "Thank you!" And then he did something that surprised me; he kissed my cheek.

"Really, it's nothing," I said, blushing a little. "You're not a nobleman by any chance, are you?" I added quickly –_terribly_ subtle.

"A nobleman? No. Good lord, no. Why do you ask?"

I looked at my shoes. He wasn't going to like this. "It's just that… there's this st-"

I jumped as Gaius interrupted me. I hadn't noticed him standing behind the door. "The first code of Camelot states that only those of noble blood can serve as a knight," he explained. "Uther created the knights to protect this kingdom from those who wish to destroy it. He knew he would have to trust each of his knights with his life, so he chose them from the families that had sworn allegiance to him."

"The nobility," I said bitterly.

"And that's how the first code of Camelot came to be and ever since that day only the sons of noble families have served as knights," He concluded. Lancelot sat down, watching his dream go up in smoke.

"It's not fair!" I complained.

"Fair or unfair, that's the way it is… I'm sorry, Lancelot, truly I am," Gaius said and walked back to the table he had been working on.

Lancelot dropped his head in his hands and I really felt sorry for him. I sat down next to him and put my hand on his back, consoling him as much as I could.

A little while later, I had to go bring up Arthur's dinner and collect Terri, so I left the young man.

* * *

When I got back, Terri was sleeping on my bed again while Lancelot petted her absentmindedly. I asked him why he wanted to be a knight so much, while I lighted a candle.

"When I was a boy… my village was attacked by raiders from the northern planes," Lancelot answered, "They were slaughtered where they stood. My father, my mother… everyone. I alone escaped."

I couldn't help but feel my throat thicken as I sat down. Poor Lancelot.

"I vowed that day that never again would I'd be helpless in the face of tyranny," Lancelot continued, "I made sword craft my life. Every waking hour since that day I devoted to the art of combat. When I was ready, I set forth for Camelot… Now it seems my journey ends… Everything I fought for, wasted."

"I give you my word, whatever it takes, I will make this right," I told him. We had a silent dinner together and then went to bed.

The next morning, after I'd delivered Arthur's breakfast and left Terri with him _again_, I went down to the library. On the way there I thought about how Arthur didn't seem to mind having Terri around anymore. In fact, I strongly suspected he liked it. Though it did mean that I had to miss her more often.

Once upon reaching my destination, I searched for the giant tome which held all the noble families of the land. Careful not to draw the attention of the librarian, Geoffrey of Monmouth, I searched until I found an old family with four sons. Then I quietly whispered a spell to copy the seal and changed the name to Lancelot.

When I returned, Lancelot was peeling potatoes. He looked up as I held up the piece of parchment.

"What's that?" he asked, pausing his actions.

"This is your seal of nobility," I replied and walked over to him.

"I don't understand."

"Ladies and gentlemen! I give you Lancelot, fifth son of Lord Eldred of Northumbria," I said jokingly, rolling out the paper.

"No, Merlynn, no," Lancelot said, shaking his head and going back to his potato peeling.

I decided to yank his chain a little and said: "So you don't want to be a knight then." I rolled up the seal and turned around.

"Of course I do!" Lancelot yelled, dropping what he was holding onto the table in frustration. I turned back around and gave him a sympathetic smile.

"But what? The rules don't allow it? Damn the rules! They're wrong!" I protested.

"But it's a lie." I couldn't deny that, but I didn't mind. Lancelot was obviously one of the lucky few who wasn't used to keeping secrets. "It's against everything the knights stand for," the young man continued.

"You have as much right to be a knight as any man, I know it!" _'And it's not like Arthur never lies, he's lied to at least three people today!'_

"But the rules, Merlynn."

"We're not breaking the rules," I tried to convince him, "we're bending them, that's all, to get your foot in the door. But after that you'll be judged on your merits alone." I grinned at him, when I saw the hope in his eyes. "And if you succeed," I continued, "if they make you a knight, it'll be because you have earned it, noble or not."

Lancelot kept looking at me, but leaned against the table. A small smile played around his lips.

"I can't change the way things are done around here… But you can, if you let me help you."

Lancelot paused and I knew I'd won the argument.

* * *

Watching Gwen take Lancelot's measurements was amusing to say the least. Terri had rejoined us on our way there. How she knew where we were headed was a mystery to me, but it wasn't like she could explain.

"This is very kind of you, euhm…" Lancelot started.

"Gwen," she supplied as she sat on her knees to measure his upper thigh. Lancelot looked uncomfortable, and I had to stifle my laughter, though neither of the two heard. The strangest thing happened then, it was like I could almost _feel_ Terri's amusement, like our spirits were linked in some way… But I didn't dwell on it too long; the scene in front of me was much too funny.

"Gwen," Lancelot repeated.

"Short for Guinevere," she explained and stood up to measure his arm.

"Ah, and thank you, Guinevere."

"Don't thank me, thank Merlynn. She would do anything for anyone, wouldn't you, Merlynn?" she asked, but I waved the compliment off. Still watching them intently, I noticed a slight blush on Gwen's cheeks.

"Sorry, can you raise your arms?" She measured his chest and now both of them were blushing. "I think it's great Merlynn got you this chance. We need men like you," the maid said with a smile when she had stepped back.

"Do you?" he asked.

Gwen had one of her moments in which she tried to explain too much because she let her tongue slip. "Well not me personally, but you know… Camelot." I didn't bother trying to hide my grin and Gwen glared at me behind Lancelot's back.

"Camelot needs knights. Not just men like Arthur and his kind, but ordinary people like you and me," she finished.

"Well, I'm not a knight yet, my lady."

"And I'm not a lady," Gwen said, but smiled at him. I could see something forming here, and I saw an opportunity. Playing matchmaker had always been one of my favourite pastimes…

"Sorry, I…" Lancelot started, but didn't seem to know what to say. He looked into Gwen's eyes and she stared right back. I could practically see the sparks fly between the two.

"Okay, we're done," Gwen said to relieve the tension, "I should have these ready in no time. It was nice to meet you, Lancelot." Gwen extended her hand to the man and he kissed it. This took her a bit by surprise and forced me to hide my grin behind my hand again. The look on Gwen's face was hilarious.

I decided to save her then and composed myself. I walked over to Lancelot and patted him on the back.

"She seems lovely… Guinevere I mean," Lancelot commented once we were walking inside the castle again. My _oh-so-obedient_ dog was playing with some children in the courtyard, but I didn't mind. This conversation with Lancelot was going to be… interesting, to say the least.

"Oh, absolutely," I agreed. "She is. And the best seamstress in Camelot, I promise." I liked where this conversation was heading.

"Is she… you know… with someone?" he asked. I detected a hint of hope.

"No, she's not seeing anyone," I clarified, "she's all yours."

Lancelot stopped in his tracks. "What, no, I… I didn't…"

"Calm down, Lance, I'm not suggesting anything," I called over my shoulder and kept walking. A smirk played around my lips.

He caught up to me. "Except that I think that you and Gwen would make a great couple," I finished.

Again, Lancelot stopped, but this time I halted as well. He gave me shocked look, as if I'd just discovered his darkest secret. Which, knowing Lancelot, it probably was.

"Oh, I saw the way you two looked at each other, and nearly forgot I was there… Lancelot, I've never seen Gwen look at anyone like that, and I want her to be happy. You're a decent man, and I believe you can do that for her," I said.

"… She does seem very nice…"

I couldn't help but grin.

* * *

Not that much later, Gwen, Lance, Terri and myself were on the training grounds, waiting for Arthur's session to end.

"Well, you certainly look the part," I commented, fasting one more string.

"Doesn't he just?" Gwen agreed, smiling widely. Terri barked in affirmation.

"I don't feel it," the soon-to-be knight muttered. Gwen and I smiled at each other.

I heard Arthur announce the end of the training session and told Lancelot to go get his chance.

They talked for a second before Arthur suddenly slapped Lancelot. I had to stop myself from marching over there and telling Arthur off. Instead, I ground my teeth. When the prince glanced over I glared.

Arthur just turned around and said: "Come back when you're ready."

Lance picked himself off the grass and told Arthur he was ready now.

The prince turned around again and said Lancelot could start by cleaning out the stables. I gave the man a last sympathetic smile, before leaving him to make my way back home with Terri.

* * *

"I'm sorry about Lancelot, I can see you're upset," Gaius said as I helped him with one of his remedies. Terri was once again nowhere to be seen, probably either with Gwen or Arthur.

"Oh… you know… that's life, I suppose… You win some, you lose some," I said, keeping my eyes fixed on my hands while I ground herbs. For someone who had such a big secret I was a horrible liar.

"You're taking it very well…" he commented. "I have to say, very mature."

I smiled at him. "Thank you, Gaius."

At that moment, Lancelot walked in, covered in mud and probably other things originating from the stables. "How'd it go?" I asked with an arched eyebrow.

Lance made an unintelligible sound and walked on into my room, where a bucket of water was already waiting for him. I couldn't help but smile and gloat.

Gaius merely frowned and looked at me in that Gaius-sort-of-way that said 'I know you're hiding something from me and you had better tell me what it is, or there'll be consequences.'

I suppressed a shudder.

"He found work in the stables," I lied.

"I see," he answered, but he didn't sound convinced at all. Right when I thought he wasn't going to say anything anymore, he did. "Now the truth before I loose my temper." And he meant it.

I looked at my hands while I said: "He's… trying out for the knights?" It was more of a question than a statement. I looked at my uncle with a sheepish smile, before it melted off my face at his look.

"The First Code of Camelot has never been broken for any man! What have you done, Merlynn?" _'And there's the lecture.'_

"Okay, I bent the rules a little," I admitted, "but the rules are wrong, they're not fair!"

"You bent the rules? Using magic?" Though his tone was calm, I could almost feel the worry and anger behind the words.

"It was nothing, honestly! It was more of a… trick than actual magic." I knew I was downplaying my actions, but I really didn't want Gaius to be disappointed in me _again_.

"Your magic is not a toy, Merlynn, it's not for you to use or abuse as you see fit," he chided.

I turned away, aggravated and angry that Gaius was judging me, knowing only some of the facts. True, he probably guessed the others, but that was beside the point! How could he not see I was right this time? Nobody would ever find out, I'd made a man's dreams come true, and Arthur would have one more protector! And a friend within the knights might be useful in the future!

"I know!" I said, instead of voicing my arguments.

"Then why did you do it?"

"I owe Lancelot my life," I said clearly. "I am paying for that dept the only way I can; by giving him the opportunity he deserves. If you want to punish me for it, go ahead." It was one of those rare moments I acted mature, because I knew I was doing the right thing.

Gaius and I looked into each other's eyes for a second before I walked away to my room.

* * *

The next day, I was in Arthur's room with Terri, trying to mend his tunic and repeatedly sticking the needle in my finger when the alarm bells rang. I dropped everything and raced towards the commotion, all the while hoping Arthur or Lancelot wasn't the reason for the alarm. As usual, Terri followed me closely.

It turned out that one of the outlying villages had been attacked, so I helped the old and the wounded into the citadel with Gaius. Terri guided the children.

Not too much later, Lancelot appeared by my side. "What happened to these people?" he asked, concern obvious in his voice.

"Their village was attacked by a winged monster," Gaius answered. Lancelot and I shared a look before going our separate way again to help the people.

* * *

The day after that I spent most of my time caring for the sick and the wounded, though my experience was limited. Sometime before noon, Lancelot came to me and told me that Arthur had decided to move his test forward to the next morning. I conveyed my good luck wishes and said I was sorry I couldn't help him with it.

"He also asked me where I slept…" Lancelot said with a hint of confusion.

"What did you say?"

"The truth, that I sleep in front of the fire…" he replied.

I was just as confused, but was distracted as a small child with deep cut in her arm asked for my attention. Lancelot left to train with Terri following, since she couldn't help me here, while I healed and disinfected the wound –Non-magically of course.

Gwen came to help me not much later, and together, we managed to treat nearly everyone. Luckily, or maybe unluckily, there weren't that many left.

"I don't know what to do, Gwen, I feel so helpless… As long as I don't know what the creature is, I can't defeat it, and if the knights try to fight it… Arthur might die… And Lancelot could get hurt as well," I whispered desperately. We were sitting in a quiet corner of the temporary infirmary.

"I'm sure they'll be alright. Gaius is researching the beast, right?" she replied kindly, though also making sure no one heard her.

"Yes, but I still don't understand why he doesn't let me do that! He should be here! I know how to treat cuts and bruises, but there are still a few people who will need his attention. I'm no physician, but I think that boy needs an amputation, his arm looks pretty bad," I whispered and pointed to a small boy of maybe eight or nine years old.

Gwen frowned worriedly, but didn't say anything, so I got up and started to distribute water among the people.

* * *

Lancelot's test went great. He fought like a lion and he lasted quite a bit longer than the last contestant, though he was punched to the ground before the time was up.

Gwen gasped and grabbed my arm. Though I too was worried about Lancelot I couldn't help but smirk at her reaction. _'She fancies him,'_ I thought smugly, before redirecting my attention to the fight. On the other side of me, Terri was tense, her eyes focussed on the scene in front of her.

I could see Arthur sigh in disappointment before reaching for the ribbon in Lancelot's belt. Just then, Lance suddenly pushed Arthur's legs out from under him with his feet. Before I could say 'Camelot', Arthur was on the ground and Lance's sword was at his throat.

"Do you submit, sire?" he asked. I grinned as I noticed that Arthur's ego was a little bruised.

Three knights came and forced Lancelot back. The prince got up and ordered the other man on his knees. He sounded angry and grabbed his sword. I was about to interfere when Arthur laid the tip of his sword on Lancelot's shoulder and announced that he had passed the test. He was going to be knighted that very morning.

Gwen, and I cheered. Together with Terri, we ran over to congratulate him. In passing I offered Arthur a huge smile and I touched his arm for a second. "Your ego will be fine in no time," I whispered with a smile and preceded toward Lancelot.

"Great fight, Lance! I told you you could shame the great Arthur," I said quietly.

He smiled hugely and accepted many more congratulations from fellow knights and Gwen. I slipped to the background to stand next to Arthur.

Silently, I took the prince's helmet and smiled at the sight in front of me. "He'll be a great knight," I commented.

"I know," Arthur replied.

* * *

"Rise, Sir Lancelot, knight of Camelot," Uther announced. I swear, I couldn't have been prouder, and I applauded right along with everybody else. Unfortunately, Terri wasn't allowed in the throne room, especially not during a ceremony.

I talked to Morgana and Gwen for a little while after the ceremony, before taking my leave and finishing some chores. After that I prepared both Arthur and myself for the celebration that night.

At the party itself, Arthur and Lancelot were chatting animatedly and everybody was enjoying the feast.

"Look at them, Gaius. Does Lancelot not deserve this moment?" I asked, gesturing in the general direction of the men.

"I never said he didn't," my uncle replied, "but destiny and deserves are not the same thing. You played God, Merlynn. You set him on the path of your choosing. Tonight, you've brought him triumph, but who knows what the future may hold?"

"Yeah… I don't know what it said on your invitation, but on mine, it said 'celebration'?" I quipped.

Gaius couldn't help but laugh and say: "Point taken. Don't come back too late." He turned and left.

Not knowing what else to do, I went over to Gwen and Morgana –who was wearing another fabulous dress by the way –and chatted a little, before Gwen left to tend to her duties and I accompanied her.

I glanced over at Lance and Arthur and saw them looking at us while discussing something. Sharing a look with Gwen, we stifled a giggle.

"Want to hear what they're saying?" I asked deviously.

"I don't know, in full hall like this?" she whispered, obviously concerned.

"Don't worry half the people is too preoccupied by their company and the other by their drinks. Trust me."

I whispered a spell and instantly heard what they were saying inside my head.

"Do you think her… beautiful?" Arthur asked. I didn't know why, but I had the impression Arthur was looking in our direction.

"Arthur's asking Lance if he thinks _she_ is beautiful, whoever _she _is…" I told Gwen.

"Yes, Sire, I do," Lancelot answered. I recited his answer to Gwen again.

"Yeah, I suppose she is…" Arthur said and with that ended the conversation.

"Arthur just agreed with Lance… But I don't think they're talking about the same person… What do you think?" I asked, cancelling the spell.

"I don't know, I couldn't see their faces…" she replied. _'But I could… Well, I saw Lancelot's,'_ I thought with a grin.

"You know what? I think our Sir Lancelot might have eyes for you, Gwen," I teased. Of course, I knew it was true, but still…

"Don't be silly," Gwen said and tried to hide her blush by looking the other way.

"So what if he did? Would that really be so bad?" I asked kindly.

The older girl sighed. "He's not really my type," she evaded.

"Oh, well there's a surprise. Sometimes, Guinevere, I wonder if you'd know what your type was if he was standing right next to you," I said, and directed my attention back to the boys.

My eyes connected with Arthur's and a shock went through me, causing me to avert my gaze. _'A side effect of the bond maybe? Other side of the coin and that stuff…?'_ I thought and went back to my conversation with Gwen.

"So, come on… Just for the sake of argument… If you had to: Arthur or Lancelot?" I asked.

"But I don't have to, and I never will," she sang.

"Oh, you are no fun, Gwen."

"So how about you?" she asked after a brief silence.

"What about me?" I enquired.

"Who would you choose?"

I considered for a while. "I don't know, there are advantages to both of the guys…"

"Oh? Like what?"

"Well, for one, Arthur's rich and very handsome, but on the other hand he's a spoiled prat who will never take me seriously… Though sometimes… I do see a bit of the king he will one day become…"

"And what about Lancelot?" she asked after a pause.

"Well, Lance is handsome as well, of course, but not in the same way… And he's very kind and gentle, but there's no passion, no energy… He's all calm and collected, and I need someone to bicker with me every once in a while. So basically he'd be a great friend but he's not my type," I told her.

Gwen smirked and said: "Like you argue with Arthur?"

"Gwen! And I already have a boyfriend, thank you."

Before Gwen could respond, Arthur climbed onto the table and called for everyone's attention.

"Ladies and gentlemen, please join me in a toast… to our new recruit," the prince said, pulling Lance up, "our new knight of Camelot: Sir Lancelot!"

The people cheered loudly and enthusiastically. And with that the party resumed.

For once, I allowed myself to be a little less uptight and danced with a few of the servants, but eventually, I ended up dancing with the new knight.

"So, Lance, what's it like to fulfil your dreams?" I asked, twirling.

"It's the best feeling you could ever imagine!" He replied with a grin. I smiled back and saw Gwen watching not too far away.

"Why don't you go and dance with her, I need a break anyway."

Lancelot smiled at me gratefully and made his way over to the maid to ask her to dance. I smiled affectionately and was just about to turn when I bumped into someone.

"I'm so sorry," I said to the man.

"It's okay… Merlynn?" Arthur said.

"Arthur, I thought you were talking to some of the knights, waaaaaaaaaaay over there, away from the dance floor?"

"And I thought that with your two left feet you'd stay away from the dance floor as well. I guess we're both wrong," he said with a grin. Obviously, he'd already drunk quite a few glasses.

"Lancelot asked me to dance, so I had no choice but leave my nice, quiet, dark corner. What's your reason?" I asked, smiling as well.

"I was looking for… someone…"

We were standing on the dance floor rather awkwardly, so I took his hand led him away from there. "There, much better," I said once we had come to stand in a quieter place. I arched an eyebrow. "Now, how much have you had to drink?"

"Not that much! Only…" Arthur counted on his fingers. "Okay, maybe I did drink that much, but I can handle it!" His words were slurred, and I could see he wasn't that steady on his feet. But after the amount he'd drank, it was a wonder he was still lucid.

I sighed. "Okay, I believe you, but what if Camelot was attacked tonight or tomorrow morning? You're the crown prince, people are going to be counting on you every hour of the day."

"What are you saying, that I can't have fun?" He sounded like a spoiled teenager at the moment.

"No, I'm saying that when Camelot is threatened by a dangerous creature you should be constantly vigilant," I explained. "Like it or not, Arthur, you're always going to be Camelot's main defence."

He didn't answer and looked at the floor. I figured he wasn't entirely sure what he should do now. "Why don't you go to sleep so you can be fresh in the morning?" I suggested.

"Fine… you coming?"

"I'll be there every step of the way, sire," I said. I was thankful Arthur had drunk so much, otherwise he might've realized the double meaning behind my words. As it was, he just turned and made his way to his room.

'_Prat,'_ I thought with a smile and followed him to make sure he got there all right. After all, he _was_ Arthur…

* * *

**A/N: So what did you think? Gimme feedback, people!**

**So review! =)  
**


	10. Lancelot part 2

**A/N: Ho everyone! I'm sorry it's been so long since I last updated, and I don't have any excuses, so I can do nothing but offer my apologies and hope you'll forgive me.**

**dedication: This chapter as tenth (nice and round number =) is dedicated to Eilonwyn: Because you've suffered through all my horrible and less horrible mistakes without once complaining. You're teaching me to be a better author and that's more than I could ever wish for. You truly are an amazing beta! **

**And now the cheesy moment's over; on with the chapter, and enjoy!  
**

**10 Lancelot - part 2**

The next morning, I was probably the only person other than Gaius who was up bright and early. Gaius had prepared a batch of anti-hangover potion, of which I took a bottle to bring to Arthur. Lancelot and Terri were still sleeping, both snoring loudly.

I silently opened Arthur's door to find the bare-chested prince on his bed with his head in his hands.

"Good morning, Arthur," I said, ignoring my slight blush at his state of dress.

"I'm sorry for whatever I said yesterday, I can't remember," the prince said through his hands.

I decided to tease him a bit. "Oh, really? Well, you did ask me to marry you."

"What?" Arthur's head shot up and his face blanched. "I don't, I mean, I never… Oh god…"

I laughed. "I was just kidding, Arthur. You only behaved like a teenager, so I brought you to bed."

"The only one of us who should be acting like a teenager is you, you're… what? Sixteen?"

"Actually, I turned seventeen last week," I said with a slightly bitter taste in my mouth.

"Really? Well… Congratulations. And now could you stop yelling?" He buried his head in his hands again.

"I'm not yelling," I said, lowering my volume.

"Yes you are." The sound was muffled again.

"No, I'm not," I whispered.

"Yes, you are."

"No."

"Yes."

"No."

"Yes, you are!"

"No, I'm not. Now drink the bloody potion," I ordered, still whispering.

Arthur's head came up. "Potion?" he asked hopefully.

"Yes, Gaius made it for you and Lancelot. It'll help with the headache." I handed him the potion and he downed it in one.

I smiled and took the bottle from him. Just as I was preparing to go, someone knocked at the door.

"Sire, the King wishes to speak with you!"

"I'll be right there," Arthur answered at a normal volume.

"I wonder what that's about?" I said once the guard's footsteps had faded.

"Lets find out," Arthur replied and walked over to his dressing screen.

"Need any help?" I asked.

"I can dress myself, thank you very much." I only had to wait a second before he spoke again. "Actually… Could you give me a hand?"

I grinned and walked over. Arthur was standing there tangled up in his shirt. I stifled another laugh and helped him into it.

"Come on," he said once he was dressed and led me to the throne room.

When we arrived, Uther was seated on his throne, and the entire royal court was present. Geoffrey of Monmouth, the court genealogist, stood next to the King.

"What's this about, father?" Arthur asked, taking his place next to him. As usual, I stood behind the prince.

"You will see in a moment," was his only reply.

And he was true to his word, for only a few minutes later, Lancelot was dragged in, closely followed by a confused Gaius and Terri. I felt my heart sink. _'No. No, this wasn't supposed to happen!'_

"Tell them what you told me," the King said coldly. It took me a few moments to realize he was talking to Geoffrey.

"These credentials are faked." Arthur closed his eyes briefly in disappointment as the genealogist spoke. "The seal itself is faultless, forgery of the highest possible standard, but a forgery it must be. There is no record of a fifth son of Lord Eldred of Northumbria. Therefore he-"

"Lied," Uther finished. "Do you deny it?" He stared down at Lancelot with an icy glare.

"No, sire," the man answered from where he was kneeling on the floor.

"You've broken the First Code of Camelot. You've brought shame upon yourself and upon us. You're not worthy to have knighthood bestowed on you. You never were, and you never will be. Get him out of my sight," he ordered the guards. They grabbed his arms and dragged him off to the dungeons.

"Sire," Arthur began. I looked up at him –maybe there was some hope.

"Do you test my judgement?"

"His deception was inexcusable…" _'Or not…'_ "But he meant no harm, sire, I'm sure of it. He only wished to serve." I couldn't help but smile a little. Arthur was fighting for him!

"The First Code is a sacred bond of trust. It _is_ what binds the knights together. How can you trust a man who's lied to you?"

Arthur didn't reply, and after looking at him for permission, I left with Terri. It was only when night fell that I could visit Lancelot.

* * *

"I don't know what to say to you, Lancelot," I said truthfully, leaning on the bars of his cell.

"You're not to blame."

"Yes I am. It was my fault. If I hadn't pushed you, made you lie… none of this would have happened." A sob escaped me and a tear fell.

"The choice was mine. My punishment is mine to bear, and mine to bear alone."

I swallowed thickly. "I wish there was something I could do. Anything…"

"There is," the man said. I looked up hopefully. "You can stop blaming yourself."

"Easier said then done… But I'll try." I took a deep, unsteady breath and wiped my tears away. "Is there anything I can get you? Something to eat or drink?" I asked more steadily.

"No thank you. Where's Terri?" he asked, looking around as though the dog would put her head around the corner any second.

"She's with Gaius. I think she's depressed, she really likes you."

He smiled at me. "There is nothing you can further do for me, Merlynn. Go home and get some rest and I will try to do the same."

I managed a tiny watery smile, nodded and turned around. _'A good night's sleep might clear my thoughts…'_ I thought, and made my way back to Gaius' chambers.

* * *

"Merlynn?" Gaius asked next morning, but I interrupted him.

"Whatever you do, don't say 'I told you so'."

I was sitting on a chair in the corner of the room, sulking, while Gaius was bent over one of his books again. Terri was with Gwen, still depressed, and refusing to move from where she'd curled up on the floor.

"I've no wish to gloat, Merlynn. What's done is done… Here, come and take a look at this." He pointed to the book that was open in front of him on the table.

I walked over and looked at him.

"I realized my mistake. I've been looking for the creature in the wrong place; in the records of all known living things in the kingdom. And then I thought: what about creatures only recorded in legend, in myth? And I discovered this." Gaius took his hand off the page of the book.

I realized what it was the moment I saw it. "That's it! That's the monster!"

The moment I said that, the alarm bells rang. Gaius and I raced to the window to see the people in the courtyard fleeing in all directions. The creature was attacking Camelot!

I didn't waste a second, running out the door to where Arthur and his knights were defending the city.

I arrived just in time to see Arthur get knocked down by the monster and turned to grab a torch from the wall.

"Arthur!" I yelled and threw the torch to him.

The prince picked it up and waved it at the creature, driving it back. A second later, the beast jumped up and flew off.

While Arthur stared after it, I ran to him. "Are you hurt?" I asked.

"Why, Merlynn, I never knew you cared," he joked.

I glared at him. "Of course I care! If you had died I would've lost my job," I quipped back.

He just smiled and shook his head.

* * *

A little while later, I rejoined Gaius and we waited in the throne room for Uther and Arthur. I missed the cheerfulness Terri brought along on meetings such as these. She was still sulking at Gwen's, but at least she _had_ moved a little; Gwen had informed me that she had taken Terri for a walk.

"You said your knights were the best in the land… You proved that today," Uther said, striding into the room.

"All I know is it's still out there," Arthur replied.

"Let's not wait for it," Uther said. "The Kingdom has been menaced by this creature for too long… We finish this now."

"Sire, if I may…" Gaius interrupted.

"Gaius," the King said, granting him permission to speak.

"I've been researching this creature, sire. I believe it to be a griffin," my uncle explained.

"A griffin?" Uther asked, looking confused. "What's in a name?"

"The griffin is a creature of magic."

I could see Uther's mood going from angry to raging, though he kept a neutral face and an even tone. "I've no time for this physician."

"It is born of magic, sire, and it can only be killed by magic," Gaius continued anyway. Arthur looked a bit crestfallen, but Uther refused to believe it.

"You are mistaken. It's a creature of flesh and blood like any other, Arthur proved that today," the King said firmly, putting his hand on his son's shoulder.

"I'm not so sure of that, father," Arthur said. "I think there may be some truth in what he says."

"What truth?"

"The griffin was unharmed, sire, our weapons seemed useless against it."

"Useless? I think not," Uther said, with a final tone in his voice. He would tolerate no more talk of magic, of that I was sure. "No. It's tasted our steel once… The next time will be its last. When will your knights be ready to ride again?" he asked Arthur.

"An hour, maybe two," Arthur replied, but I could see he was uneasy.

"Good, we finish this tonight," Uther said and left the room. Arthur looked at me worriedly before leaving to prepare his knights.

* * *

Gaius and I went back to our chambers. "Is it true?" I asked, dreading the answer. "The griffin can only be killed by magic?"

"Yes, Merlynn, I'm certain of it," he replied gravely. "If Arthur rides out against it he'll die."

"Then he must be stopped! Uther _must_ see reason!" I exclaimed.

"Where magic is concerned our king is blind to reason… And yet… magic is our only hope." He folded his hands and walked over to me.

"You're not suggesting…?"

Gaius nodded. "It is your destiny, Merlynn. The true purpose of your magic."

A cold fear spread through my body as the seriousness of Gaius' words sunk in. "You saw it Gaius… I can't go up against that thing."

"But if you do not… then Arthur will surely perish."

"No…no, this is madness," I said desperately. How could I defeat a creature like the griffin? On the other hand, I couldn't let Arthur die. I hated to admit it, but the prat was growing on me. "I don't have magic that powerful, there must be another way!"

"This is the only way," Gaius replied solemnly.

"Do you even care what happens to me?" I asked, panicking. "Oh, just do this, Merlynn, do that, Merlynn, go and kill the griffin, Merlynn. I'll just sit here and warm my feet by the fire-"

"Merlynn!" Gaius interrupted me. I looked at him fearfully, knowing I'd let my fear speak for me. "Merlynn… you are the only thing I care about in all this world… I would give my life for you without a thought… but for what? I cannot save Arthur. It is not my destiny. You know this."

"I'm sorry," I whispered. "I'm scared…"

"I don't know what else I can say."

I took a deep breath. "Then I'll say it for you… We have two hours to find a way to kill that thing."

* * *

A long while later, Gaius and I were bent over a thick tome. "There," Gaius said, pointing to a page. "You must do this for Arthur."

I stared at the difficult incantation. "I've never cast a spell or enchantment this powerful," I said.

"Nothing less will kill it," Gaius countered. "Here, try." He handed me a long dagger to practise on.

I concentrated on the weapon and said the incantation… and nothing happened. I glanced at Gaius. "Don't worry, Merlynn, you have plenty of time," he said, though it didn't reassure me.

For Arthur, I kept trying. Again and again I said the spell, and again and again nothing happened. I was losing all hope when Gwen and Terri burst in.

"Merlynn! Lancelot's riding out to kill the griffin!" She sounded out of breath and desperate.

"He's what?" I asked, silently cursing that bloody idiot.

She just looked worried, so I sprinted past her to try to catch up with Lancelot. I just hoped I wasn't too late.

I found him preparing a horse outside the stables. "I'm coming with you," I said, bending over to catch my breath.

"No, you're not," he argued.

"You just try and stop me," I said stubbornly, getting up.

"Merlynn, you're not a soldier, you're a woman! You might get hurt!"

"You said it yourself, Lancelot, Arthur needs all the help he can get, now let's go," I said, getting my own horse out of the stable.

Together, we rode out into the forest. My heart beat fast, and I was close to panicking again. I hadn't been able to perform the spell, what if I couldn't do it now? I hid this from Lancelot, though; it wouldn't do for him to see me nervous.

After a short while, sounds of battle could be heard, along with the terrifying screech of the beast.

We urged our horses on, but when we arrived at the scene it seemed we weren't in time. It was quiet now and the griffin was nowhere to be seen. I immediately started searching for Arthur's familiar armour. God knew, I cleaned it enough to recognise it even in the dark.

I looked over at a few knights who had obviously been killed before I saw him. "Arthur!" My heart constricted as I thought he was no longer breathing. I checked his pulse like Gaius had taught me, and was relieved to feel his heartbeat.

"He's alive," I told Lancelot.

He couldn't reply though, as at that moment the griffin made itself known. It screeched loudly and Lancelot jumped up quickly.

The beast was flying overhead, so Lancelot took his lance and mounted his horse, while I stayed beside Arthur.

When the creature came into view through the fog, I got up slowly, somehow knowing I wouldn't fail this time. Lancelot charged and I concentrated on his weapon. The spell rolled off my tongue three times, increasing in volume. After the third time, the lance was suddenly enveloped by blue flames, as I felt a slight drain of my powers.

Lancelot hit the creature square in the chest. And it burned in blue flames. I smiled proudly as I realized this was my doing. I did it!

A sound from behind me pulled me back to reality. Arthur was waking up.

I looked at Lancelot and a silent agreement was formed between us.

'You don't say I was here and you take care of Arthur. I'll disappear to the castle.'

I turned and ran, before the prince could spot me.

I kept running until I reached Gaius' chambers. He was sitting at the table, waiting for me impatiently. Terri had been sitting in front of the door, staring at it until I came through it.

"You did it," Gaius said as soon as he saw me. He and Terri both came over to me.

"I did it!" I said smiling hugely and hugged him

"Thank god," he whispered as he held me.

* * *

When I was done recounting the recent events to my uncle, I walked to the throne room, where I guessed Lancelot and Arthur would be.

Lancelot was indeed standing outside the door, but Arthur wasn't. That meant he was explaining everything to his father behind closed doors. "What are they doing?" I asked.

"Deciding my fate," the man replied.

I paced around for a while before the silence became too much. "They'll restore your knighthood, I'm sure. You killed the griffin!"

Lancelot faced away from me. "But I didn't kill the griffin… you did."

"That's ridiculous," I chuckled.

"Bregdan an real," Lancelot repeated my spell, "I heard you… I saw you."

I glanced at the guards, hoping they hadn't heard him. I didn't reply and tried to swallow through my tight throat.

"Don't worry, your secret's safe with me. But I cannot take the credit for what I did not do. There'll be no more lies, no more deceit."

"I've gotten used to lying all the time," I admitted in a whisper, "if I hadn't I'd be dead by now… I'm sorry… What are you going to do?"

"The only thing I _can_ do." Lancelot walked away from me and barged into the throne room. I waited in the shadows outside and listened.

I listened as Lancelot explained that he was leaving, and why. I let a tear fall as I saw a friend walk away. I'd miss him, I knew, but I'd survive. Just like Camelot would survive until the time came when men like Lancelot could be knights and Camelot would bloom.

* * *

Next morning, Gaius and I stood on the battlements, watching Lancelot ride away.

"Perhaps you were right, Gaius. Perhaps I should've never gotten involved."

"No, Merlynn, I was wrong. Lancelot needed you and you needed Lancelot. Your destinies were entwined."

I didn't reply immediately. "Will he ever return?" I asked instead.

"That I cannot say."

"Till next time then… Sir Lancelot," I whispered to the wind.

* * *

**A/N: Tell me what you think! Remember; the more reviews I get, the more I write. ^^**

And also; you know that feeling you get when you receive a review, that warm and fuzzy glow inside... don't you want others to feel the same? 

**So the only thing left to say is: REVIEW!**

**Oh, and P.S.: from now on (almost) every chapter will be dedicated to someone special ^^  
And P.S.2: a new mep's coming! I'm not saying anything except that it will centre around Terri and the evolving relationship between Arthur and Merlynn (friends or more?) but before I can do that 'the gates of Avalon' are next ^^**

**Enjoy and keep reading!  
**


	11. The Gates of Avalon part 1

**A/N: As usual, I'm terribly sorry that I didn't update sooner, but at least it's a longer chapter (nearly 5000 words!)and it has a really cool ending (if I do say so myself ^^)**

**Disclaimer: Wow, I haven't done one of these in a while... ^^ Same as always; I don't own anything, except the plot line and Merlynn and any other characters I may have invented.**

**dedication: Pauline (aka moonlightwastaken.); because you've been by my side ever since I started writing. You've read every single fanfic I've ever written, no matter how bad they were. Because you've encouraged me to keep writing and to follow my dreams. Because you've given me ideas and because you forced me to enter NaNoWriMo. I could've never gotten as far as I have if you hadn't pushed me. Thanks for being a great friend! **

**Anyway, enjoy!  
**

**11 The gates of Avalon - part 1**

"Terri, not so far!" I yelled. The dog in question was chasing butterflies up ahead while Arthur and I walked at a more normal pace in the forest.

"Honestly, Merlynn, can't you even control a simple dog?" Arthur joked.

I hit his shoulder. "She's not just any dog, and I know you love her."

The prince looked at me indignantly. "I do not!"

I just chuckled; teasing Arthur was always one of my favourite pastimes.

"Have you seen Morgana lately?" Arthur asked.

I looked at him curiously. "Yes, yesterday evening, why?" I replied.

"No reason… I just haven't seen her since the whole Edwin Muirden thing. I think it spooked her a little."

"Give her a little more credit, she is Morgana after all. She's still recovering some of her strength, but she'll be fine. Why do you want to know?" I asked. It wasn't like Arthur to be so… thoughtful.

"I don't… I mean, I do, but… she's like a sister to me, okay?" he said irritably.

I smirked, but didn't comment. I knew Arthur had feelings.

"We're never going to catch anything like this, are we?" the prince asked, glancing at Terri, who was still jumping and barking and generally scaring the animals away.

"Hey, look at the bright side; at least it's not me who's scaring away the prey," I joked.

He sent me an unamused glance. I just smiled sweetly at him, before I noticed the silence.

"Where's Terri?" I asked, feeling panic rising in my chest.

Arthur's gaze swept over the surrounding vegetation when a woman's screams reached us. We ran to the source of the commotion to find three bandits attacking a man and a woman. Terri was occupying the fourth by biting his sword arm.

Arthur fired an arrow with his crossbow, killing one of the bandits. He then drew his sword and engaged two of the men single handed.

I took my own sword and focussed on the last man. He was about to attack Arthur from behind, so I whispered a spell to make a thick branch snap off and land on the thug.

Arthur finished the man he was fighting off and faced the last one, but he ran. Only then did he notice the broken branch. "Stroke of luck," he muttered.

"Are you hurt, Arthur?" I asked quietly.

"I'm fine," he told me and then spoke to the man and woman being attacked. "Are you alright? They didn't hurt you?"

The woman – only a girl, I now noticed –turned to face the young prince. "No, thanks to you." She was younger than me and quite beautiful, but something about her sent a shiver down my spine. I ignored the feeling and listened. "I'm Sophia, this is my father, Aulfric."

"Arthur Pendragon," the prince introduced himself, "at your service." He leant down to kiss her hand. I couldn't help but roll my eyes and feel slightly nauseated. When had Arthur turned into this bootlicker?

* * *

On the way back to the castle, I walked next to the Lady while Arthur talked to Aulfric. Terri walked next to me, but she kept growling at the girl I was walking beside.

"I'm Merlynn," I said, smiling at her. She smiled back, but didn't say anything.

"I'm sorry, but all the Ladies at Camelot are much older than me, except for the Lady Morgana of course, but then again, she is a great friend of mine," I babbled.

"Aren't you Arthur's servant?" she asked with a small frown.

"Yes, but Arthur and I are friends."

"Really? That's odd… That reminds me, how did you become a prince's _maidservant_?"

"That's a long story," I said with a chuckle.

"I believe we have more than enough time."

So I recounted how I had become Arthur's maidservant – leaving the parts about magic out, of course.

Though the girl seemed nice enough, I couldn't shake a feeling of dread.

"I'm sorry, could you send that dog somewhere else?" she asked suddenly.

"Terri? There's no need to be afraid, she wouldn't hurt a fly," I said.

"I don't care, please send it away."

From that moment on, I walked behind Arthur, Sophia and Aulfric with Terri. Something was off. Terri never growled at anyone, except sometimes at thugs who passed us in the streets… and Morgana, but that had lessened somewhat recently.

"What's wrong, Terri? Is she not a nice person?" I asked. Terri kept growling, but I could've sworn I saw her shake her head…

* * *

We arrived at the castle, where the travellers told their story in front of Uther. They were Lord Aulfric and Lady Sophia of Tiamor and had been forced to escape from their homeland by raiders. They were planning to travel on to Caerleon where they had family.

Uther suggested they stay in Camelot for a while, and I couldn't help but glare at Arthur when he smiled at the news, before quickly composing himself.

* * *

Back in Arthur's chambers, he ordered me to put the guests in a decent chamber.

"The one next door is empty," I suggested, a small part of me hoping that Arthur would say no. Terri lifted her head from where she was laying down in the sunlight streaming in through the windows.

"The one next door is fine. Excellent in fact."

I paused in cleaning up his table to look at him with raised eyebrows. It took him a second to realize I was staring at him. "Shut up, Merlynn."

"I didn't say anything."

"You didn't have to. I want to make it clear that my intentions towards Sophia are completely honourable," he said, shrugging on his red jacket. Terri made a noise that sounded suspiciously like a snort.

I stifled a laugh but continued working.

"Put her in the room on the other side of the castle… it's warmer… more comfortable," he said in a softer voice.

Now I was irritated that he wanted to do something unselfish for her. "She's very beautiful," I commented, keeping my eyes on my work.

"Yes, she is," Arthur replied.

"And if your intentions are honourable…" I trailed off.

"They are, definitely," Arthur assured me.

"Then what's the problem with her staying next door?"

What I wanted him to say was; 'Just put her anywhere, I don't care.' What he did say was this: "There isn't one… You've convinced me. Put her in the room next to mine."

I ground my teeth, but nodded politely anyway and went to help Sophia with her things, while Terri remained with Arthur.

* * *

A little while later, Sophia and I were standing outside her chambers. I handed over the few things she had been travelling with. "If you need anything, just let me know."

"Okay," she replied and turned. As she entered her room, Morgana turned the corner and stopped in her tracks at seeing the girl.

She strode over and took hold of my arm. "Who is that?" she asked urgently.

"That's Sophia of Tiamor. We rescued her in the woods… well, Arthur did most of the rescuing."

"She can't stay here," Morgana said, staring at the door. I frowned at her. Why would Morgana have a problem with Sophia?

"There's nothing I can do, Morgana. The King said that she and her father are welcome here at Camelot… Is everything okay?" I asked, worried about my friend.

She seemed to compose herself. "Yes, thank you," she said and walked away before I could say anything… Oh well, I'd talk to her later.

* * *

I visited Morgana after I'd taken care of Arthur – without saying one word, because he was still being a prat and couldn't stop talking about Sophia. She was already sleeping when I came in and I was about to leave when her restlessness alerted me that something wasn't right.

I went to sit on the corner of the bed and she started awake. She was shaking and her eyes were wide with fear. Morgana never even questioned why I was in her room, she just let me hold her. "Shh, it's alright, I'm here, I'll protect you," I whispered.

I stroked her hair and continued whispering reassuring things in her ear until she had fallen back asleep.

* * *

Next morning saw me making Arthur's bed and tidying his room.

I was in a bad mood that day, because I had spent a good deal of the night searching for that bloody dog of mine. Eventually, I'd found her sleeping on the rug next to Arthur's bed. The sight had been much too endearing to disturb, so I'd let her spend the night there.

"I'm taking Sophia out for a ride today. You know, show her around," Arthur said, leaning against the bedpost.

I hit his pillow a little harder than was strictly necessary. "What does this have to do with me?" I asked suspiciously.

"Well… I'm supposed to go on patrol with my father's guard this morning, so… I need you to cover for me."

I stopped doing my chore and met Arthur's eye, hoping to see a trace of a joke. Nothing. "What, and lie to the King? No way, Arthur. He'd see right through me." It wasn't a lie, but my real reason was that I just didn't want to do it.

"Merlynn," he interrupted before I could object more. "I need you to do this for me." He looked at me with those blue eyes of his, but I wouldn't give in that easily.

"I'm terrible liar, Arthur, you know that. I stutter, my vision blurs, my brain shuts down…"

"No change there then," he muttered, before speaking up. "Look, I promised Sophia I'd take her out and if I don't turn up it'll blow my chances."

"You like her then?" I asked, feeling a bit dejected. Terri, who had been sitting near my feet whined softly and nudged my hand. I patted her head.

"Yeah, what's not to like?"

"Her age?" I said quietly.

"What do you mean?"

"She's younger than I am!" I exclaimed.

"So?" He clearly didn't understand.

"Never mind, go on."

"I want to spend some more time with her, but I need to get my father off my back. I can't order you to lie to the King, but… You'd be a friend for life if you do." He looked at me with puppy-dog eyes and I couldn't resist. _'Damn! So close to saying no! Damn those beautiful eyes of his! –Wait, _beautiful_?'_

"Go on then, you don't want to keep her waiting," I said, even more dejectedly.

"Thanks, Merlynn, I won't forget it," he said with a huge grin.

I couldn't help but smile sadly as he left the room. _'This won't last,' _I told myself, _'she'll be gone in a few days and then everything will be back to normal… I hope…'_

* * *

A while later I was in the counsel room, where Arthur was supposed to be reporting to his father. I had decided to leave Terri with Gaius, since I didn't think the King was very fond of pets.

"Where's my son?" the King asked when he noticed me.

I put aside my anger towards Arthur and forced an innocent expression on my face. "I'm not exactly sure where he is… I think there's been a mistake, but it's not his fault, Arthur's I mean-"

The King interrupted me. "Stop gibbering and tell me where he is."

"It's probably – no it's definitely my fault," I said nervously.

"Where is Arthur?" Uther asked angrily.

"He's not here…"

"I can see that." The King was losing his patience.

"He wasn't sure of his orders, so he asked me to check with the guards to see if he was riding out this morning, and well… I may have forgotten."

Uther was slowly moving my way and I resisted the urge to turn and run. "You forgot?" he asked quietly.

"I'm sorry, my lord, I'm sure he would've been here… had I told him."

"If this was a time of war, I would have you flogged," the man threatened.

"But since it isn't we'll let it go, just this once?" I suggested weakly.

* * *

"I'd almost forgotten how much fun this was," I said to myself dryly as I stood in the stocks once more.

I ducked my head just in time for a particularly foul smelling rotten tomato to hit the top of my head.

'_I hate you,__ Arthur Pendragon.'_

* * *

When I arrived back at Gaius' chambers, the old man couldn't help but make a comment. Terri was still snoring on in my room.

"Have you been playing with your food again?" he asked jokingly.

"The King put me in the stocks," I told him, sounding a bit resentful.

"What did you do this time?" he asked.

"Nothing." I walked past him and went to the table where a bucket stood. When I turned I saw him giving me a look. "Honestly, it wasn't my fault. Arthur wanted to get out of going on patrol with Uther and his guard, so I covered for him. I took the blame."

I finally found the can of water Gaius held near for when patients required it and poured it into the bucket.

"And Arthur was prepared to let you do this?" Gaius questioned.

"It was his idea," I defended myself.

"What made him neglect his duties? It must've been something terribly important."

I didn't reply immediately. Instead, I doused my head completely in the cold water. "Sophia," I said once I'd come up again. I realized my tone was a bit more venomous than strictly necessary, but I ignored that.

"The girl from the forest?" he asked.

"He wanted to take her out for the day… He's completely besotted!" I said angrily.

"But they've only just met," Gaius said, frowning.

"I know! I guess it must've been _love at first sight_," I spit the words out, like they were poisoned.

"Yes… I suppose it must be…" Gaius said, still frowning.

* * *

Next morning I was in Arthur's chambers, preparing his armour for the knighting ceremony, though I stopped doing that the moment I saw him coming in through the antechamber with his regular clothes on.

"You're dressed!" I exclaimed angrily.

"Nothing gets past you, does it, Merlynn?" he replied sarcastically.

"You're supposed to be wearing these," I said, holding up his armour, "Your father's bestowing a knighthood on one of _your_ men this morning!"

"I'm giving it a miss," he said, not even turning to look at me.

"Oh no, you're not! That would be the second time in only two days you're neglecting your duties as a prince, and I'm not going to let it happen this time! I'm sure Sophia will understand," I said forcefully.

He looked at me strangely. "Yes, I heard you ended up in the stocks again yesterday, sorry about that." '_What, he has nothing to say about everything else I said?'_

"About the rest; Come on, Merlynn, please? This is the last time, I swear, I'll never bother you about it again." He was looking at me with those puppy-dog eyes again.

"No, no, no. Those puppy-dog eyes of yours aren't going to work this time! I'm not covering for you again!"

"Please, Merlynn? My presence isn't really needed at a ceremony like that, I'm sure my father won't mind."

"What's happened to you, Arthur? Where's Camelot's crown prince gone to? The one whose first duty is to his people?"

"Please, Merlynn, I'm asking this as a friend."

"Fine, but you owe me, and this is the last time I'll ever do you a favour, understand?"

He just smiled. "Thanks, Merlynn!" he said and hurried out.

I threw the piece of armour I was holding against the wall as hard as I could.

"Merlynn?" Apparently, the loud clang had alerted Gwen, who was passing by, of my presence. "What's wrong?"

I sighed and sat down on the edge of the bed. "Nothing… Arthur's being a prat again."

"Usually you don't throw your chores against the walls when he's being a prat," she reasoned, sitting down next to me.

"It's just… There's something about Sophia… I don't trust her, and Arthur's completely smitten! He's neglecting his duties because of her! It's not like him…"

"You're worried?" she asked gently.

"Yes… He's my friend, Gwen… and there's the whole destiny thing…"

"It's odd…" the maid said, frowning.

"What is?" I asked.

"Well… Morgana doesn't trust her either, but I thought it was just jealousy…"

"Why would Morgana get jealous?" I asked curiously.

"I don't know… I think she may have feelings for Arthur..."

I stayed silent for a while. "I'll think about what you said, Gwen, but now I need to face the wrath of the King once more…" I said darkly. "Oh, and could you take care of Terri again? I'm sorry to ask, but-"

"It's okay, Merlynn, it's nice to have some company while I work." She smiled, got up and left the room.

I smiled to myself, glad to have a friend like Gwen, and made my way to the throne room.

Fifteen minutes later, I was in the stocks… Again…

* * *

"Not again, Merlynn, surely," Gaius said when I entered.

"You would think that the appeal of pelting the same person with fruit would wear off after a while, but oh no," I said filling the same bucket with water again.

"I heard that Arthur wasn't at the knighting ceremony," Gaius said, looking at me.

"Yes," I said crossly, "he wanted to make the most of his time left with _Sophia_." Once again, I used more venom in my voice than necessary.

"So you helped him?" Was it just me or did he sound disappointed?

"He practically forced me."

"You shouldn't have done that, Merlynn," Gaius chided mildly.

"What?" I felt a faint shimmer of hope that my feelings of unease would be confirmed.

"I fear that Sophia isn't all that she seems," Gaius explained.

"I knew it! … Why?"

Gaius got up. "What do you know about seers?"

"Not as much as I'd like," I replied, stopping my attempts to wash all the rotten fruit from my face. "They're supposed to be able to see the future, mostly through dreams… It's a rare gift."

"It is said to be an innate ability; those who have it are born that way. Some don't even know that what they see _is_ the future, and you're right, it comes to them in their dreams."

"What's this got to do with Sophia?" As far as I knew, seers weren't evil, so it wouldn't be a problem if Sophia was one.

"The night before she and Aulfric came to Camelot, Morgana had a dream… Sophia was in it," he explained.

"What? _Before_ she arrived in Camelot?"

My uncle nodded. "I've been watching Morgana since she was very young… and though I tried to persuade myself otherwise, I realized that some of the things she said she'd dreamt came to pass… I kept it a secret from Uther of course, the art of prophecy is too close to the work of magic."

"And you think Morgana is a seer?" I asked, needing to know for sure.

"I don't think it… I fear it. Morgana said she dreamt that Sophia killed Arthur."

That frightened me. "Couldn't that have just been a dream?" I asked, "Maybe the woman Morgana saw just looked like Sophia?"

"That's what I hoped, but Aulfric caught me in Sophia's room earlier, and in a flash of anger his eyes changed colour…"

"Who are they?" I asked, frowning deeply.

"It's not who they are that worries me… it's what they want with Arthur…"

* * *

I headed to Arthur's room as soon as I was clean, only to stop just around the corner. Aulfric was pacing in front of the door to the prince's chambers.

As I peeked around the corner, Sophia came out of Arthur's room, so I ducked back. "He's ready," I heard her say, "Tomorrow he'll do what we need him to."

"Good," her father replied. "You have done well. I must go to the elders."

Sophia went into her own room, while Aulfric walked the other way. I decided following him would be more productive then trying to persuade Arthur they weren't to be trusted.

He led me deep into the forest, to a lake where he yelled that he sought an audience with the Sidhe elders and shouted out a spell. The lake lit up and small balls of light danced lightning fast over the surface.

I didn't really think when I used my magic to slow down time. Now I could see that the balls of light were actually blue, fairylike creatures with wings and pointy ears and feet. Under the lake a city of light was now visible. It was beautiful.

Aulfric spoke again, saying he was there to plead for passage back to Avalon and a life of immortality. One of the Sidhe hung still in the air in front of Aulfric. He said that because Aulfric had killed another Sidhe he had to live a mortal life in a mortal body.

Aulfric pleaded for his daughter, but the Sidhe said she too was banished unless the soul of a mortal prince was sacrificed.

'_Arthur! No!'_

Aulfric promised Arthur's soul to the Sidhe. It seemed the audience was over as all the Sidhe went back into the lake and the lights dimmed. I let go of the spell that had slowed down time.

Aulfric laughed, but stopped suddenly and looked behind him. I hid behind a tree just in time.

* * *

When I got back, I immediately relayed everything I had seen and heard to Gaius.

"Avalon! What you saw at the lake, it's Avalon, it must be!" Gaius said.

"What's-"

"The land of eternal youth," he interrupted me. "Mortals are only supposed to glimpse at it the moment before death!"

"I've seen it, and I'm still here," I reasoned.

"Extraordinary! What does it look like?" he wanted to know, but I felt we were going off-topic.

"Does it matter? They're going to sacrifice Arthur! And we don't even know who they are yet!"

"We do now," Gaius countered and walked to the book he had been looking in earlier. I followed him. "I found writing like this at the top of Aulfric's staff. It's orcharm; an ancient script."

He sat down and indicated some sort of runes in the book before him. Gaius read a specific sentence out loud and translated it. "To hold life and death in your hands. From the writing on his staff and what you saw at the lake, I'm afraid I'm now certain. We're dealing with a Sidhe."

Even though my uncle's tone was ominous, the word didn't mean much to me. "That does not sound like a good thing…"

"No." He looked at me significantly. "They're masters of enchantment."

"You think Arthur's been enchanted?" I asked. The moment I said it, I knew it to be true. Arthur hadn't been himself lately. I should've known that he wouldn't neglect his duties just for some _girl_.

"Almost certainly," Gaius replied. "I'm afraid Morgana's dream is coming true…"

* * *

Later that day Arthur had requested an audience with the King, and, as was common, the entire royal court was present.

"I requested this audience, father, to discuss a matter of great importance," Arthur said, his voice resounding clearly through the hall even though he had not raised his voice.

I stood in the shadows, listening intently and concentrating on every slight movement Sophia or her father made. Now that I knew what I was looking for, I could feel the magic surrounding Arthur. It wasn't very clear, because only a part of the spell was active at the moment, but I could tell it was a very strong one.

"It cannot have escaped your attention that I and Lady Sophia Tiamor have grown very close," Arthur continued.

"Not too close, I hope," the King commented.

Arthur paused a moment before replying. "We're in love."

Hearing him say those words stung for some reason, even though I knew he was under a spell.

For a moment, the entire hall was quiet, before Uther started laughing. "I assume you're joking," he said once he was capable of speaking again.

'_How I wish that were true…' _I thought.

"No," Arthur replied. "I'm going to marry her."

"But you only met two days ago," Uther argued.

"We're in love," the prince said slowly and clearly, as if to make his father understand.

"In love…" Uther repeated. "We had no idea you were such a romantic, had we, Morgana?"

"No… he's full of surprises," Morgana said.

"I'm going to marry her. I don't care what either of you think about it," Arthur said firmly.

"I thought you'd come to ask my permission?" Uther asked.

"Out of courtesy, nothing more," the prince replied. He grabbed Sophia's hand and turned to leave.

"Guards. Door," the King ordered. The guards lowered their weapons to block the entrance. "You've forgotten whose court you're standing in," he continued, standing up from his throne.

"You won't stop me." It sounded like a statement of fact, but for some reason, I doubted Uther would be stopped so easily. "If I want to marry her, I will."

"Arrest Sophia and Aulfric Tiamor," the King ordered.

'_I never thought I'd say this, but I wholeheartedly agree with Uther… Strange thought…'_

"What are you doing?" Arthur asked, returning to his father.

"And inform the executioner his services will be required tomorrow morning," Uther continued undisturbed.

"You can't do this." Arthur sounded angry, but for once I couldn't care less. It was for his own good.

"Yes, I can!" Uther shouted. "And unless you show me some respect, I will." His voice was dangerously low and I couldn't help a cold shiver running down my back. Imagine a man like Uther talking to you like that. It was enough to make any man take a few steps back.

Father and son had a staring competition for a little while longer, before Arthur looked away.

"Release them," the King ordered. "You've got your whole life ahead of you. Sophia is no doubt your first love but she certainly won't be the only one… Enjoy yourself while you can."

Arthur bowed stiffly and left the throne room.

* * *

I stood in Arthur's doorway a little while later, just watching him pack his things and waiting for him to notice me.

'_As if he would ever notice me,' _I thought, and then stopped. _'Where did that thought come from?'_

"Get out." The venom in Arthur's voice startled me.

"I thought the King was a bit harsh…" I lied easily.

"I don't need sympathy, Merlynn, especially not from you."

I ignored him. "But I did think he had a point."

"I ordered you to get out, now leave me," he said angrily. His eyes looked so much like his father's at that moment, I paused. But only for a second.

"I know what you think you're doing, and I know you think you're in love with Sophia-"

"Who are you," he interrupted loudly, "to tell me what I'm thinking?"

"I'm your friend."

"No, Merlynn, you're my servant." That hurt, but I shoved it aside, he was under a spell!

"You don't know what you're doing!" I said, losing my temper. "She's cast a spell on you! You're enchanted!"

"I told you people would try to keep us apart." Sophia's voice sounded from the doorway.

"I know," Arthur replied meekly. The image of a baby chick following its mother came to my mind. "I won't let that happen."

"No! Don't listen to her, she's controlling you!" I argued. _'Please let him see sense!'_

Arthur just stared at me, so I did what I do so often – I didn't think. I leaned forward and kissed him.

* * *

**A/N: Cliffie! Jej! Maybe, if you all review, I'll hurry up with the next chapter. I've got 41 reviews right now, but I'm aiming for at least fifty, c'mon, that's not so hard is it? I know there are at least 55 people who have added this fic on their alert/favourite list (and yes, I do know your names mwoehahaha! hm... never mind...).**

**I would like to thank Global Conquest-er, Lily123236219, Hunter111, tania15, grapejuice101, foxyaoi123 for reviewing the last chapter. You guys are great!**

**One comment to dhh though: you only read the first chapter (so far) how can you possibly know where the rest of the story is going? I don't need flames, especially not from someone who has at least fifteen typos on his profile page. You say you like well written fanfics, well open your eyes, this is one!**

**Now that that's over, see you at the next chapter!  
**


	12. The Gates of Avalon part 2

**A/N:**** Jej! Another chapter! I'm sorry for the wait, and since I'm sure you're all dying to know what kind of anticlimactic chapter I put in this time, I'll keep it short.**

**Thanks to my lovely beta, Eilonwyn!**

**dedication: Hanne: You've been my best friend for close to 16 years now, need I say more? Okay, I do =) we wrote Bill's Bachelor Party together, and we've laughed our asses off. You've yet to read this fic, but I'm confident that you insatiable curiosity will either drive you insane or make you read it =D So as soon as you do; this is for you sweetie!**

**And now, on with the chapter!****  
**

**Chapter 12: The Gates of Avalon – part 2**

_Previously:  
~Arthur just stared at me, so I did what I do so often – I didn't think. I leaned forward and kissed him.~_

It wasn't at all what I thought it would be, but on the other hand… it was… I wasn't even making sense to myself. I could only be certain of a few things; Arthur's hand was on my neck, his lips were on mine, and I was very much enjoying myself.

A hand closed around my arm like a vice. Aulfric pulled me back forcefully, but I barely felt it. My eyes were on Arthur's. I could've sworn I saw something akin to recognition, but as soon as Sophia spoke, it was gone.

"Arthur…" Though Sophia's voice was soft, it commanded Arthur's attention. Suddenly, it was as if the kiss hadn't happened.

"We can elope together," she whispered, coming closer. "Get away from this place, these people."

"I saw you," I said accusingly, pointing at Aulfric. I turned to Arthur now. "I followed him, they're planning to sacrifice you!"

Aulfric stepped forward menacingly. "You let your servant talk to your guests this way?" he said.

"I know what you're going to do because I followed you to the lake and heard everything!" I yelled back. I turned to Arthur, pleading. "You have to believe me."

He seemed so confused all I wanted was to hold his hand and tell him everything was going to be all right.

"Don't listen to her, Arthur. Let's go, let's leave tonight," Sophia pleaded. I had to admit, she was a great actress.

"She's going to kill you!" I said desperately, taking a step closer to my prince. "She plans to sacrifice you to buy a life of immortality, if you go with her you die!" Somehow, saying it out loud like this made it even more real to me. A pain I couldn't explain shot through my heart.

Arthur shook his head, bewildered. "It doesn't make sense…" he said." We're in love…"

"They're magical beings! Look at the writing on the staff!" I made to grab the old man's staff, but he held it out of my reach, his eyes flashing red.

I flinched and stepped back again. "Look at his eyes! Look at him! Do you believe me now? Arthur, do you see?"

But when Arthur turned back to me his eyes were the same shade of red. "I see everything." His voice was cold, as were his eyes, and he didn't show any sign of recognition.

Realizing I couldn't win like this, I bolted for the door, but was hit with a blast from Aulfric's staff. The last thing I remembered was hitting the wall hard, white-hot pain spreading through my body, before the darkness came.

/

I woke up to Gaius' voice begging me to say something. I cracked open an eye, wincing at the pain.

"What happened?" my uncle asked.

"Aulfric," I sad groggily, "where's Arthur? I have to go after him! What that buzzing noise?" I asked vaguely, as Gaius hoisted me up.

"Careful, Merlynn, you can barely stand up-"

"I have to go," I said, still disoriented, trying to get away from Gaius. I needed to get to Arthur.

"You can't! Not in this state! You owe it to your powers that you survived this at all!" he protested. I looked down at my singed clothes, glad the blast hadn't burnt through the fabric.

"I'll be fine. He needs me."

"Has that buzzing stopped?" he asked suspiciously.

"Yes."

"Liar," he said, still holding on to my arm to keep me upright.

"I have to go, Gaius, he'll die if I don't!" I begged, my eyes pleading.

"The Sidhe are a vicious people, you must be careful."

"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing," I said, trying to smile it off. I still felt dizzy and my body still hurt. I started walking, hoping it was in the general vicinity of the door.

"Merlynn!" Gaius called. I turned towards him. "This way," the man said, pointing in the opposite direction.

"Just testing." I ran out the door and out the castle into the forest, and hopefully toward a still alive Arthur.

/

As I ran through the familiar forest, my head became clearer, though the pain wouldn't go away. _'I really must've hit that wall hard…'_ I contemplated. But my thoughts didn't linger on that subject too long; all I could think about was Arthur right now…

As I neared the lake, I heard Aulfric chanting some sort of spell, and through the trees, I saw Sophia standing in the water. I bit back a scream; Arthur was already in the water!

I took a few more steps closer and noticed Sophia's staff lying at Aulfric's feet. A simple spell sent it flying to me. I caught it deftly and immediately used it to kill the old man.

"Father! No!" Sophia cried, wading to the shore, but she met the same fate.

I took off my coat as I ran toward the water, diving in as soon as I was close enough. Finding Arthur in the turbid water proved harder than I initially thought, especially since the cold chilled me to the bone. I whispered a spell and dove under water again. This time a tiny light that represented Arthur's life force could be seen a little to my right. I swam to him and somehow managed to get him to the shore. Arthur was very heavy, particularly since he was wearing his armour at the time. I had no idea why that idiot felt the need to wear it every single day.

I lay on my back for a few seconds before getting up and kneeling by the prince's head. He wasn't breathing. A chill went down my spine that had nothing to do with the fact that I was drenched in ice-cold water.

Luckily, Gaius had taught me a little about being a physician – not much, but still enough to get by for now. I covered his mouth with mine, pinching his nose closed while I breathed air into his lungs. I repeated this four times until he coughed out water and breathed on his own. Unfortunately, he didn't wake up.

I was exhausted and cold, so I used some magic to warm myself and Arthur up and to start a fire. I lay down on the damp earth, figuring I could get in an hour's sleep before dawn. I kept Arthur between me and the fire, getting warmth from both sides, so he wouldn't catch pneumonia or something. The last thought I had before drifting off was that Arthur looked so innocent when he slept.

/

A lark's shrill notes woke me a little less than an hour later. I extinguished what was left of the fire with some dirt and thought about how to get Arthur back to Camelot. The easiest way to do that would be to just shimmer** (1)** him back, but that was a form of magic I still had to research.

'_I suppose a spell to make him lighter? Or even make him float?' _I thought to myself and searched in my sleep-deprived brain for the correct incantation. It took me a few seconds until I remembered the spell to make him lighter. Fortunately it cost me no trouble at all, and before long I was on my way, carrying Arthur under my arm. Vaguely, I realised what a sight it must've presented: a maidservant hauling her six foot master through the forest and not having trouble with it in the slightest. I couldn't run, obviously, but it didn't take me much longer to reach the castle than it had the last time.

Sneaking Arthur in would be much harder. "You just have to make my life more difficult, don't you?" I whispered to the prince's sleeping form.

I left Arthur under a bush to see if I could find another way into the city besides the front gates.

Luckily, I didn't have to look long. There was a narrow fissure in the outer wall of the castle, hidden from view by some sort of plant. Had I not been searching for it, I definitely wouldn't have found it. A small voice in the back of my mind told me I'd have to hide it with a spell as soon as I had the time.

I went to fetch Arthur and a little while later, I got him into his chambers with no one the wiser.

I lifted the feather-light charm and went to get Gaius.

"He appears to be all right. You did a good job, Merlynn, well done," he praised. I sat up a little straighter at the compliment.

Arthur murmured something and stirred slightly. I glanced at Gaius and turned back to the sleeping prince. "Arthur?"

"What happened?" His words were a little slurred and his eyes were barely open, but he was awake at last. I gave a tiny sigh in relief. "Where am I?" he asked, lifting his head off the pillows.

"Can't you remember anything?" I asked cautiously.

Arthur sat up a little and groaned. "Oh, my head… There was a girl… Sophia, she… I asked my father something about her, I asked…" Suddenly, realization hit and he bolted upright. "What was I thinking?"

"Well, we did wonder… especially when you eloped with her last night," I said casually, trying my best – and miraculously succeeding – to hold back a grin.

"I did what?" the prince asked, his voice getting an octave higher on that last word.

"Merlynn had to bring you back to Camelot," Gaius backed me up.

"I don't recall any of this!" Arthur said, looking around in confusion, as if something in the room might prove what we claimed.

"Must've been some blow," Gaius said, looking at me now. I had to admit, the man knew how to act, and I found it terribly funny. Nonetheless, I didn't let any of my inner mirth show on my face.

"What blow?" the prince demanded.

"Well… When I caught up with you, I couldn't persuade you to return, you were beyond reason… so I had to make you." It was getting extremely hard to keep my laughter in by now, and I felt the corner of my lips twist upward a bit. Luckily, Arthur was still a bit hazy from the spell and near death experience.

"You managed to knock me out?" Arthur asked unbelievingly. I had to admit, it was a bit of a stretch.

"Yes, I snuck up behind you with a lump of wood," I said, slightly smug at the look on the prince's face.

"She only did it to bring you back safely," Gaius explained.

Arthur pointed his finger at me. "No one can know about this!" He switched his finger to Gaius. "Any of it! … Is that understood?"

Gaius and I looked at each other and I felt the laughter bubbling up again; it was so extremely difficult not to laugh, or at least grin when I looked at the old man's face.

We turned back to Arthur slowly and nodded, at which Arthur fell back into the pillows. I carefully hid a grin behind my hand and watched Gaius leave with an equally amused smile on his face.

Of course, not much later a guard came knocking on the door, and we were summoned to the throne room.

/

A long talk ensued in which I caught the blame for Arthur's disappearance _again_ and Uther asked whether or not I had some sort of mental affliction.

"Probably," I replied with a glare in Arthur's general direction.

"I'm looking into it, sire," Gaius said, clearly hiding another smile.

And then Uther actually made a _joke_! A real, honest to god _joke_! "I hope for our sake you find a cure… or we'll find ourselves with a food shortage on our hands." Naturally, no one cracked a smile but me, causing Arthur to send me an annoyed look. And then I realized what it meant.

In the stocks _again_. We really should be worrying about a food shortage soon.

I'd cleaned up and put on a new dress, and sat at the dinner table with Gaius, when Morgana walked in.

"Morgana," Gaius acknowledged.

"I've… had some troubled nights," she said, holding an empty bottle in her hands.

"I've prepared another draft for you," Gaius replied and went to search for the vial. "Have the dreams stopped?"

Morgana shook her head no. "Arthur told me what actually happened," she said, looking at me. "You must've hit him around the head really hard."

"Yeah, I'm stronger than I look. Though I do feel bad about that." Suddenly, and without warning, the kiss popped back into my head. I still hadn't figured out what I was thinking. I had a boyfriend, and Arthur was the crown prince of Camelot and a friend… Though I couldn't bring myself to regret it, or even feel guilty about it.

"Here you are," Gaius said, interrupting my train of thought. "Remember, every night just before you go to sleep."

"Thank you, Gaius," Mergana replied and left.

"She must never find out the truth," Gaius said once the noblewoman's footsteps had died out.

"Why not?" I protested. "She had a premonition that helped save Arthur's life."

"And it could've cost her her own if Uther ever found out, and things would never be the same again. It must remain a secret," Gaius said, leaning on the able I was sitting at.

I looked to the left and pursed my lips, as I always did when I didn't agree on something. "Is she like me? Can she use magic?" I asked softly, still not meeting his gaze.

"No one's like you, Merlynn."

I looked at him then. "But she has the gift?"

Gaius got up and stared at the door, where Morgana had walked through not two minutes ago. "For her sake I hope not."

We set about eating dinner after that and Gaius bade me goodnight as I retreated to my own room. There I took up a piece of parchment and a quill. Honestly, I didn't really know what to write, but it had to be done.

_Dear Will,_ I started, but didn't quite know how to continue. The kiss I'd shared with Arthur had brought up questions and feelings I didn't want to deal with. Feelings I shouldn't have, especially not for Arthur.

_I cannot stress enough how hard it is for me to be writing this, but we shouldn't write each other anymore. We both knew that when I moved to Camelot all chances of us being together went out the window. This hurts me more than I can say, and I do love you, but I can't be yours._

_I cannot, and I will never just be someone's wife. You more than anyone know that I have to be free, at least for now. _

_I'm sorry to be breaking your heart, though I'm sure you know it's breaking mine too. I hope you know you'll always be in my heart._

_Yours truly,_

_Merlynn_

I wiped a stray tear away and folded the letter. Mother always told me to wait a day before you sent a letter with consequences. Often, you'd change your mind in the morning. So I put the letter on my nightstand, though I knew I'd end up sending it anyway.

That kiss with Arthur had changed everything, even though he couldn't remember it. It had been far too easy, too comfortable.

I sighed; there was no point in thinking about it now. So I lay down in my bed and fell into a restless sleep.

* * *

**A/N: Did anyone see the Shakespeare reference? If you did, you get to ask three questions about this fic that you're dying to know, and I'll answer them truthfully ^^ (answer will be put up in the next chapter!)  
**

**(1) Shimmering (in this fic) is a way of transportation; you disappear here, you turn up there. For the Charmed fans; it's sort of like Cole (or any other daemon for that matter) does.**

**Review!  
**


	13. The moment of truth part 1

**A/N:**** So here's the next chapter, I know it's taken a long time, I'm sorry!  
And of course thanks to all my lovely reviewers and my incredible beta: Eilonwyn =)  
Sorry, no dedication this time ^^  
**

**S****o without further ado; enjoy!**

**Chapter 13: The moment of truth (part 1)**

I knocked on Gwen's door, waiting for her to open it. It had only been a day since I brought Arthur back to Camelot, and I desperately needed to talk to my best friend. I had taken Terri with me, the dog sitting down next to me and looking at me sadly, as if she felt my internal turmoil.

"Merlynn? What are you doing here?" she asked. It was only just twilight so I figured she'd be home already.

"Arthur's been avoiding me so he let me go home early. I just need a friend to talk to…" I told her.

She moved aside and let me and Terri in, gesturing for me to sit at the table, Terri curling up at my feet, while she put a kettle of water on the fire. She didn't say anything, for which I was grateful; I needed to collect my thoughts.

"Sophia and Aulfric weren't who they seemed, but I suppose you already guessed that from Morgana's dreams…" I started and paused, not entirely sure how to continue.

Gwen sat down across from me and put her hand on mine briefly, smiling gently.

"They were Sidhe, a vicious Fay people," I said, staring at my hands nervously. What if she didn't believe me? "Sophia enchanted Arthur so she could sacrifice him to regain an immortal life. I killed them both in order to save his life."

Again, Gwen didn't say anything, simply listening as I told her everything that had happened, including the kiss and my letter to Will.

"I know I can't be with Arthur, and it's not like I have a special wish to be in a relationship with him… To be honest, I don't know what I'm feeling. For either him _or_ Will. And with all the magic involved I'd be surprised if Arthur would ever truly accept me if he knew, while Will already has… I just don't know what to do anymore…" I let my head drop into my hands.

Gwen got up and sat down next to me, hugging me. "I can't tell you what to do, Merlynn. Arthur's the prince and you're a servant, but you're always going to have to be beside him. You have to figure out for yourself exactly how you feel about him. I agree that the letter to Will was necessary; it wouldn't have been fair to keep him hanging like that," the maid said. "It'll all work out in the end, Merlynn, trust me." The simple sincerity in her eyes convinced me to.

"Thank you, Gwen. You're a true friend."

Gwen just smiled and took the hot water off the fire to make tea.

"Where's your father? Is he out?" I asked curiously. Usually the kind man would be around somewhere.

"He's still in his smithy, working on something or other. He's always busy, always trying to make a little extra money so he can buy me something nice… I wish he wouldn't, though: he works much too hard."

"You have a wonderful father… I sometimes imagine my father to be the same. A kind-hearted and hardworking man who cares for his family… I suppose I'll never know, will I?" I said, half cheerful, half sad.

"Never say never, Merlynn. Perhaps someday you will find him. And then you will see the man he _is_ instead of the fantasy," Gwen said, drinking the last of her tea. "Who know, he might even be better."

"Who knows," I agreed." I have to get going, Gwen, it's getting dark. Thank you for listening, I'm eternally grateful for a friend like you."

"And I for one like you," Gwen replied as she saw me to the door. "Good night, Merlynn."

"Good night, Guinevere."

/*/

The next few days passed in a haze. I helped Arthur and Morgana save a young druid boy named Mordred. The dragon hadn't exactly been pleased, telling me I shouldn't have saved him. Apparently he was going to kill Arthur. I'd faced one of the hardest decisions I had ever had to make: let a little boy die because of something that might happen, or save him and risk Arthur's life.

And to top things off, only a week later Arthur's uncle, Ygraine's brother, came back from the dead to get his revenge on Uther. Since my magic was useless against the wraith. I had a sword forged in the dragon's breath made (awkward phrase…how about "I forged a sword in the dragon's (the Great Dragon's? I don't know) breath [possibly add "in order to [destroy it (wraith) or something of that nature]"] Wow, way too many parentheticals). Unfortunately, Uther wielded it instead of Arthur, so I had to take it away and throw it into the Lake of Avalon.

Now I finally had a few moments off, as Arthur was training with his knights and Terri was with Gaius. While fetching water in the village, I saw my mother walking through the streets. I abandoned the bucket immediately and ran over to her. "Mother!"

I embraced her tightly, only realizing now how much I had truly missed her. When I pulled back, I saw the bruise on her face. "Who did this to you?" I asked, feeling anger bubbling up inside me. When she hesitated, I asked again, more pressing.

"I think we should see your uncle first," she said resting her hand on my arm. "I don't want to talk about it here."

We walked the familiar route to Gaius' chambers, carrying my mother's few belongings. She refused to talk about it along the way.

/*/

**Arthur POV**

I headed for Gaius' chambers after training, because Merlynn hadn't been in my room when I got back. I was ready to yell at her upon entering, but the sight that met my eyes made me hold my tongue.

Gaius was putting some ointment on a woman's face, while Merlynn knelt at her feet, holding her hand. Terri lay at the woman's feet, ears perked up as though listening to the conversation. She turned to look at me and cocked her head sideways, as if asking me what I was doing there.

Besides the dog, the woman was the first to notice me, turning to look at who had entered. Her eyes shocked me. They were the same cerulean as Merlynn's, but looked much more tired.

"Merlynn, I think you have company," the woman's soft voice sounded. Merlynn's head shot up and she came over to me as soon as she saw who I was. She closed the door behind me and led me to the other side of the room.

"I'm sorry I'm late, sire, but my mother–" she whispered.

"She's your mother?" I interrupted her. She looked a little annoyed at that.

"Yes," she said, louder. "Mother, this is Crown Prince Arthur. Arthur, this is my mother, Hunith."

Gaius turned around, shuffling jars on the shelves behind him, while Hunith got up and curtsied, causing Terri to have to move aside. "My lord." Seeing this woman, so like Merlynn, being so honestly submissive, was a whole shock. The maidservant must've gotten her rebellious streak from her father then.

I nodded at the woman and studied her features. Merlynn had her eyes and her figure, but the way Merlynn held herself and the way her jaw always seemed to be set defiantly were not present in the older woman's face. "Pleased to meet you. It always seemed to me Merlynn came out of nowhere."

Merlynn snorted. "Only you would think people can come out of nowhere, Arthur."

"Merlynn," her mother chastised.

"Sorry," the girl said at once and ducked her head. It so strange to see Merlynn immediately do what was asked of her, so eager to please someone, but I figured that Hunith was the only person in the world the servant would do it for.

"What brings you to Camelot?" I asked politely, only now noticing the ugly bruise on the woman's face.

"She needs an audience with the King," Merlynn said immediately. "Bandits have been raiding my home and they're getting away with it." She was clearly angry, her teeth clenched and her fists balled.

"I will see to it you can speak to the King in the morning," I said to Merlynn's mother, to which the woman curtsied again. Terri made an annoyed sound and moved a little to the side again.

"You are too kind, my lord."

"Why aren't you more like your mother, Merlynn? At least she shows some respect," I whispered teasingly, a smile making its way onto my lips.

"You'd get bored," she quipped back and pushed past me to get to her mother. "I need to tend to the prince, mother, but I'll be back as soon as possible," Merlynn whispered, pressing a kiss to her mother's hands before following me out. Terri remained where she was by Hunith's feet.

We walked alongside each other in silence for a while, until my curiosity got the better of me. "You seem very close."

She glanced at me. "Yes, it's only been her and me for so long… I really missed her."

"I will get you that audience with the King, and I will do my best to convince him of your cause," I said, stopping.

Merlynn smiled at me and cupped my cheek; something that made me freeze; I hadn't expected it. "I know, Arthur." The way she said it, with so much conviction, made me see just a glimpse of that true belief that Merlynn often held, a belief that if she and I worked together, everything would be fine.

Her hand dropped back to her side and she resumed walking, expecting me to follow. "Come on, Arthur, let's get you to bed," she said, mildly teasing.

"I'm not a child, you know."

"You did come looking for me when I wasn't there to put you to bed," she pointed out.

I huffed and was about to give witty retort (if I do say so myself), when she laughed.

"Honestly, Arthur, you're so easy to wind up."

"I can say the same for you. Do you remember the first time we met?" I asked, fighting to hold the grin off my face. I did enjoy bantering with her.

"How could I forget? You threw me in jail!" She said with mock indignation.

"Only because you let me convince you to slap me."

The girl just rolled her eyes and opened the door to my chambers. I hadn't even noticed that we had arrived.

/*/

"The winters are harsh in Ealdor," Hunith said in her soft voice. "And there are many children; some of them just won't be strong enough to survive. We barely have enough food as it is and… If Kanen takes our harvest, our children won't live to see another summer. Please, my lord, we need your help," she pleaded, looking up at my father.

As promised, I had arranged an audience. The royal court was there, with Gaius as a trusted advisor and Merlynn as my maidservant. Morgana and Gwen stood next to the raised dais which held my father's throne. I stood next to my father, growing angrier at every detail Hunith told us. No one should have to live in conditions like that.

"Ealdor is in Cenred's kingdom," Father said after a moment's thought. "Your safety is his responsibility,"

"We've appealed to our King, but… he cares little for the outlying regions," Hunith explained. "You're our only hope."

Father remained silent for a few seconds. I saw Merlynn wring her hands and stare at Uther's face as he made a decision.

"I have the deepest sympathy for you, and would have this barbarian wiped off the face of the earth," Uther declared.

"You'll help us?" Hunith asked, hope shining in her eyes.

"I wish I could," father said gravely. I frowned, surely we could do something?

I voiced my thoughts. "Surely we can spare a few men?"

"Resources are not the problem."

"Then what is?" Morgana asked.

"Ealdor lies beyond the ridge of Escetir. For an army to enter would be an act of war," father explained.

Hunith sank to her knees. "I know you are a good king, a caring man. I am begging you. Help us, please." The woman's voice broke on the last word.

A look of anguish passed over Merlynn's features at seeing her mother on the ground, begging for the survival of her village. I swallowed thickly as I realized there was nothing father could do.

"The accord we've struck with Cenred was years in making. I cannot risk hundreds of lives for the sake of one village. I'm afraid Camelot cannot help."

Hunith lowered her head. Morgana gave Uther a look and made her way over to the older woman, helping her up gently and leading her out of the throne room. Merlynn followed suit, putting her arm around her mother's shoulders.

Father dismissed the royal court and I found myself wandering off to the battlements. It was a great place to think.

Merlynn found me up there a while later, coming to stand beside me silently. My arms were crossed and I was staring at the horizon. This wasn't the first time I hadn't completely agreed with my father's ruling. Surely if the knights dressed as peasants Cenred's men wouldn't recognise them.

"I'm sorry," I said honestly. "If it were up to me we'd be on our way there now."

"You tried. And thank you for getting that audience with the King," she said, touching my arm lightly. The simple contact made me shiver slightly. Lately I'd been noticing a change between Merlynn and myself. She would smile more often and sometimes just touch my arm or my shoulder, yet that small gesture always seemed to elicit a reaction from me.

I turned to look at the smaller girl. "I wish that Camelot was able to help people regardless of how far away they lived." Merlynn smiled, and I could have sworn I saw something akin to pride in her eyes.

"I'm going back to Ealdor," she said.

"Of course," I replied, staring at the horizon again.

"It's been an honour serving you," she whispered.

My eyes shot to hers. "You'll be coming back?" What was I supposed to do without her constantly trying to annoy me?

She stepped a little closer to me, and had it been anyone else, I would have been uncomfortable. But not with her, not with Merlynn. "She's my mother. I have to look after her before anyone else," she explained, guilt clearly written on her face. She should never feel guilty for doing the right thing; it was what made her Merlynn. "Do you understand?" she asked.

I looked into those innocent yet ancient eyes, and I saw the almost desperate need for me to understand why she did this, that she was not leaving me.

"I'd do exactly the same," I said and she smiled at me. I released her gaze and turned back to the horizon. "Well, you've been terrible," I teased. "Really, I mean it, the worst servant I've ever had."

Merlynn laughed and shook her head. "Thank you, sire, I'll miss you too," she said, hearing the meaning beneath my words. She reached up and kissed my cheek. "Thank you for all you've done for me, I'll never forget it." Heat surged through my body at the contact, the feel of her lips on my skin. She gave me one last smile, and then walked away. I was left feeling oddly cold.

"Merlynn," I called after her. She turned to look at me. "Good luck." She nodded once in acceptance, and then she was gone.

/*/

**Merlynn POV**

I was at Gwen's house later that day, preparing the last few things I'd need for the journey to Ealdor. Mother was saying her goodbyes to Gaius.

"Here," she said, handing me a sword. "Tell me how it feels?" The sword was very well made, but I'd expected nothing less from a man like Gwen's father. He took great pride in what he did.

"Feels very sword-y," I said jokingly.

Gwen rolled her eyes. "If I didn't know any better…" She went over to a corner of the room and grabbed a large, clanking bag. "I've packed some armour for you."

"Gwen, that's very sweet, and I'm sure it would come in handy, but I can't carry all that," I said, frowning. Surely Gwen knew this.

The maid had the decency to look a bit ashamed when Morgana walked in, wearing trousers and a shirt made for journeying. "You won't have to."

I must've stared at her rather dumbly, because she elaborated. "We're coming with you." As if I hadn't figured that out.

"What do you mean?" I looked at Gwen, hoping Morgana was kidding.

"You're going to need all the help you can get. I can mend armour and sharpen swords." She looked a bit apologetic, knowing I didn't really need any help.

"I can fight," Morgana said, looking every bit as if she could kick a man's ass.

"You can't," I said, and then thought of something. "Why would you?" While Gwen knew about my secret, I knew she was still a bit uneasy about it, and I had no idea why Morgana would risk her life for me.

"If it was the other way around, you'd help us," Gwen said, conviction shining in her eyes. "You already have. You saved my life." I knew she meant her father's.

"And you helped me get the druid boy out of Camelot. We owe it to you, both of us," Morgana said. I couldn't argue with that – I had done those things. But I wanted both of them to stay out of danger.

I couldn't help but smile at their show of friendship. "Thank you," I whispered, hugging Gwen and Morgana in turn.

/*/

Back in Gaius' chambers I packed the last necessities while Gaius was being the overprotective uncle. "Have you got the food I prepared for you?"

"Yes," I said yet again.

"Careful with the wine, you know what you're like. One whiff of a barmaid's apron and you're singing like a sailor."

I turned around and put a comforting hand on his shoulder. "I'll be fine, uncle," I said, taking the wine from his hands.

"You sure you don't want an extra blanket?"

"It's okay, really. I'll be alright."

"Make sure you are… Do whatever it takes," Gaius said. I smiled softly at him and pulled him into a hug.

"I'll miss you, uncle."

"And I you, Merlynn."

"Take care of Terri for me," I said, pulling back.

"I will."

I put on my pack, grabbed the other sack I was going to need and headed for the stables, where my mother, Gwen and Morgana were waiting. Soon we were riding through the forest.

I took first watch that night. So while Gwen and Morgana were sleeping soundly, mother and I sat by the fire, talking in hushed voices.

"They shouldn't be here, especially the Lady Morgana." As she said that, I knew she'd been holding it in all day. "Isn't she the King's ward?"

"Not that you'd know it," I replied with a grin. "She's the only person I know who isn't frightened of him."

"It won't make any difference to Kanen that we're women."

"I know… But I couldn't talk them out of coming. I tried. Besides, Gwen knows about me, perhaps she'll be useful if I need to use my powers."

Mother didn't reply, but looked at the sleeping women behind her. The bruise on her face was clear as day.

"I wish I could use my powers now," I said, thinking of removing the bruise, but that would arouse suspicion.

Mother turned back to me and smiled that tired smile of hers. "You were always like that. You know, once we were sitting in this sheltered meadow. It was early spring and the flowers hadn't opened yet. You couldn't have been much over two years old, but you just opened your arms and spread your fingers wide and all the flowers bloomed and the sun shone down. All because you'd felt me shiver… I had to stop you more than once from using your powers simply to do something kind, for fear of you being found out."

I touched the bruise. "I'm going to make him pay for what he did to you, magic or no."

"Promise me you'll be careful," she pressed. "No one can find out about you. It's bad enough Guinevere and William know."

"Actually, someone else knows as well," I said a little guiltily. "Lancelot was a peasant whose family was murdered by bandits when he was a child. He came to Camelot hoping to be a knight, not knowing about the first code of Camelot. He saved my life and I saved his. I didn't know he'd seen me use a spell to kill the griffin. He swore not to tell anyone and he left Camelot. That was about three months ago."

"Merlynn." Mother sounded pained.

"Mother, please. Hiding who I am is like trying to hide that I'm a girl. eventually someone was bound to find out."

Mother didn't say anything. "I promise to be careful. No one else will find out unless I need them to," I said, hoping to ease my mother's worry.

She smiled at me and kissed my forehead. "Get some rest," she said and went to lay down next to Gwen, behind me.

I poked the fire with a stick and formed an animal from the embers that flew up. I only realized it was the Pendragon crest when I'd already whispered the spell. Arthur had been in my thoughts since I left. The look he'd given me when I told him I wouldn't be coming back haunted me. We'd actually grown a little closer in the past month or so, ever since that kiss he couldn't remember. I touched him more often, and he sometimes did the same. Those innocent touches – a hand on his arm, a touch to his cheek – was all the convincing I needed that writing that letter to Will had been the right choice.

I got up and lay down next to my mother, waking Gwen in the process so she could take over the watch. Leaving Arthur standing there on the battlements had been harder than I would have thought. Destiny aside, I enjoyed his company, the bantering we'd always engage in.

I sighed, closed my eyes, and tried to get at least some sleep.

Only a little while later, judging by the darkness, I woke up again. A sound had woken me. A look at Gwen told me she'd fallen asleep. I grabbed my sword, climbing to my feet rather 'ungracefully', and sneaked out the camp towards the sound.

My heart beat in my throat as I silently stepped forward. Maybe I should've woken up Morgana and Gwen, at least they knew how to fight with a sword. On the other hand, there probably weren't many sorcerers who could defeat me, much less a normal person.

Suddenly, I felt the tip of a sword press against my back. I froze. _'Idiot! Letting someone sneak up to me from behind… perhaps Arthur's right, I am an idiot,'_ I thought.

"I'd ask you for money, but I know you don't have any," a familiar voice said behind me.

I dropped the sword and twisted around. "Arthur!" I threw my arms around his neck. "You came," I whispered.

The prince awkwardly put his free hand on my back. "Well, I couldn't let you have all the fun," he joked.

I stepped back and smiled, picking up my discarded sword. We walked back to the camp in a comfortable silence. Once there, Arthur stoked the fire back up and we sat down on the log in front of it.

"How much further is it?" the prince asked.

"Maybe a few hours," I answered after a slight hesitation.

Arthur nodded. "How many men does Kanen have?"

"I'm not sure. I think, from what my mother said, maybe as many as forty."

Arthur didn't reply, but said I should try to get some rest.

"You should as well. You've already been up all night tracking us, and you're no good to me exhausted. I'll keep watch. I've already slept a few hours, and I'm used to little sleep," I reasoned.

Arthur pursed his lips, showing me he didn't like that idea, but could find no fault in my logic, so he nodded.

"Arthur?" I said as he got up. He looked down at me. "Thanks. I know you didn't have to come."

The prince just nodded; he was no good with this sort of thing. "Maybe we should both get some sleep, I'll wake if something happens."

So I nestled on the ground, between my mother and Arthur. I fell asleep almost instantly.

Next morning, I found my head had mysteriously come to rest on Arthur's chest, and his arm was around my shoulders. Luckily, I woke before he did – being used to it and all – so I could ease myself out of his hold before any of the others began to stir.

A little while later we rode into the village to see Kanen and his men raiding it again. Just as the man was about to chop Matthew's – one of the villagers' – head off, Arthur threw his sword to distract him.

The prince was a little way ahead of the rest of us, so by the time we got there, he'd already killed a man and was fighting the next. I dismounted from my horse and didn't have to wait long for my own opponent. He was at least a foot taller than me and hammered down on my sword with brute force. Within a few seconds I was forced to back into a wall. The man was just too strong, so I used my own strength. A few whispered words made the other man's sword heat up so much he had to drop it. I thrust my sword forward and pierced the man.

I sidestepped to see Arthur kill another man and Morgana stepping in to save him from what would have been a mortal blow. The two nobles taunted each other, before Kanen got back on his horse and declared we would pay with our lives for killing his men. _'Dramatic much?'_ I thought.

He rode off and left us to deal with the villagers.

My eyes then fell on a young man standing a few feet to my right.

"You still up to the same tricks then?" Will said, barely holding back his grin.

"Will," I breathed and ran to him, throwing myself in his arms. He twirled me around.

"Gods, I missed you, Merlynn," he whispered, kissing me deeply. Strangely, it didn't feel exactly the same as it used to; it didn't really make me feel all that much.

When he pulled back, I blushed at the very public display of affection. "How've you been? I hear you're skivvying after some prince?" he asked.

Before I could reply, Arthur shouted for me. "Gather the villagers, I need to talk to them," he said, coming to a halt beside us.

"In a minute, Arthur–"

"Now, Merlynn, there isn't much time." He sounded more than a bit annoyed.

He walked away, so I followed him. "What've I done this time?" I asked casually.

He glanced at me sideways, still looking angry. "Nothing, I just didn't know that's how you usually greet someone."

I blushed again. "If it makes you feel any better, that kiss wasn't my idea. Will and I are over, I just don't think he understands that yet. I'll talk to him," I said, turning to do what he had asked of me earlier.

Arthur looked a little more upbeat when he spoke to the villagers. But, naturally, Will had to interrupt by asking: "Am I the only one wondering who the hell this is?"

"I'm prince Arthur of Camelot," Arthur replied steadily.

Will laughed humourlessly. "Yeah, and I'm prince William of Ealdor," he said sarcastically. He glanced at me as he said that and I frowned disapprovingly. _'Great, just what I needed; Will getting jealous of the prince.'_

"Keep quiet," mother chastised, "he's here to help us."

"He's made things worse! Kanen will be back, and when he is, he'll be looking for revenge. Congratulations, you've just signed our death warrants," he said to Arthur bitterly. 'Even better! A jealous and vengeful Will!' I thought sarcastically.

"He saved Matthew's life!" Mother argued.

"Don't worry, Hunith," Arthur said calmly. "This is his village. What would you have us do?" he asked.

Will looked a bit put out for a second, before composing himself. "We can't fight against Kanen, he's got too many men."

"So what's the alternative?" Arthur asked, still calm. He looked a bit as though he was teaching a young knight about battle strategy.

"Give him what he wants," Will replied, his eyes on the ground.

"And then what? Those of you who don't starve to death will face him again next harvest, and the harvest after that."

"We'll manage, we'll survive," Will said, to which a lot of villagers asked, "How?"

"The only way he can be stopped is if you stand up to him," Arthur said clearly. Everyone in the village drank in his words, except Will. He really was a natural leader, and it made me smile.

"No. You just want the honour and glory of battle, that's what drives men like you. Look, if you want to fight, then go home and risk the lives of your own people, not ours," Will said angrily and stormed off.

"Will!" I called and followed him.

I found him in his house, clearing up the mess Kanen's men had made. "He knows what he's doing, you've got to trust him," I said gently, setting one of the fallen barrels straight again.

Will didn't reply, so I walked over to him. "Look, when I first met Arthur I was exactly like you; I hated him. I thought he was pompous and arrogant and told him as much."

"Well, nothing's changed there then," Will said while I straightened a bench.

"But in time I came to respect him for what he stands for, what he does," I continued as if he hadn't spoken.

Will set his father's armour up again. "I know what he stands for. Princes, kings… all men like him."

Suddenly, I realized why he was acting like this. "Will," I said softly, coming up behind him. "Don't bring what happened with your father into this."

"I'm not!" he snapped, turning around. "Why are you defending him so much? You're just his servant!"

"He's also my friend!" I snapped back, losing my patience.

"Friends don't lord over one another," Will said.

"He doesn't do that," I said, but as the words left my mouth, I knew they weren't true. He ordered me around all the time, yet I was sure something akin to friendship existed between us.

"Oh really? Let's wait until the fighting begins and see who he sends in first. I guarantee you it won't be him!"

"I trust Arthur with my life," I said truthfully and with as much conviction as I could manage.

"Don't tell me you've fallen for him?" he asked, disgusted.

When I didn't reply, he just went on. "He knows your secret then?"

Again, I couldn't say anything, my eyes going to the ground. "Face it, Merlynn, you're living a lie, just like you were here," he said, while I fought against the tears that threatened to crash over me. "You're Arthur's servant, nothing more, unless you tell him the truth."

A tear slipped past my carefully composed features and fell to the ground. Will was beside me in an instant, pulling me into his arms. "I could make you happy, Merlynn. That prince out there can't."

The inexplicable anger I felt at his words pushed my tears back and gave me the strength to pull back from his arms. "You're right, I was living a lie. But the lie was that I could never be happy with you. You expected me to be a wife when I needed to be a sorceress and a woman first. No, Arthur doesn't know about my secret, but at least he makes me feel alive. He gave me a purpose, which is more than I could say from you!" I screamed and stormed out.

/*/

Arthur POV

That night, while Hunith lay in her own bed and Gwen and Morgana shared my old one, Merlynn and I lay on the floor next to each other.

I couldn't sleep, so I started asking questions about Merlynn's life. "Have you always slept on the floor?" I didn't look at her, staring up at the ceiling instead.

"Yeah, mostly. I only made myself a bed a year ago," I said, pointing to the bed Morgana and Gwen were sleeping in. Still, my bed in Camelot is a luxury by comparison."

"Must've been hard," I commented.

"As a rock," she joked, knowing full well I'd meant something else.

"I didn't mean the ground, I meant… for you, it must've been difficult?"

"Not really – I didn't know any different. Life's simple out here. You eat what you grow and everyone pitches in together. As long as you've got food on the table and a roof over your head you're happy," she said, shifting to get comfortable.

"Sounds…" I struggled to find the right words, "nice."

"You'd hate it," she said, grinning over at me.

"No doubt," I agreed. "Why d'you leave?" I asked.

"Things just… changed," she said, shifting again.

"How?" when she didn't answer, I nudged her in the ribs. "Come on, stop trying to be interesting, tell me."

"I just didn't fit in anymore – never have, not really… I wanted to find somewhere that I did."

"Had any luck?"

"I'm not sure yet, but I might have," she said, shifting yet again. Looking over, I saw that she wasn't comfortable because she'd put all the spare blankets on my part of the floor.

Rolling my eyes, I said, "Come here."

She looked at me strangely.

"Don't be such a girl, Merlynn, and come here."

She scooted closer, so I could put my arm under her neck. Her head now rested on my shoulder and her body was pressed against mine. I tried not to think of how she fitted perfectly against me. "It's just like you to make yourself uncomfortable so others aren't," I said, closing my eyes, but I could feel her staring at me. "What?"

"Nothing, just… thank you, I'm comfortable now."

"You're welcome… I start training the men tomorrow. It's going to be a long day," I said and tried to get some sleep.

Just before I drifted off, I could've sworn I heard a whispered "Good night, Arthur."

/*/

Merlynn POV

The next morning, I was helping Arthur into his jacket, so Morgana felt the need to tease. "Still not learnt how to dress yourself?"

"You don't have a dog so you can fetch the stick yourself," he retorted. "No offence, Merlynn."

"None taken; doesn't everyone want to be compared to a dog?" I teased back, an easy smile on my face.

"Prince Arthur, you haven't finished your breakfast," mother said, coming into the room with his bowl of watery porridge.

"Didn't I?" Arthur asked. My back was facing him, so I couldn't see his face, but his tone said enough. I smiled widely, trying to hold my laughter in.

"Come on, Arthur, eat up," Morgana said, probably gloating.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Arthur take one bite, so my mother wouldn't be insulted, and then lower it, ready to put it down somewhere. Luckily for him, mother had left the house through the back door to get something.

I turned around – now fully composed – and slapped him over the head gently, taking the bowl from him. "Here, let me. I'm going to need my strength if I'm going to keep up with you all day," I said, finishing the bowl.

"You're not going to be keeping up with me, Merlynn, you'll be with Morgana and Gwen, taking care of the armour and swords," he said.

"No, I'm not – no offence, Morgana – but I've been training, and you know it," I said, getting angry.

"None taken," Morgana said, smiling at me.

"We need firewood, and lot's of it, you think you can manage that at least?" he asked.

"Prat," I muttered as he walked out, followed by Morgana and Gwen.

Mother had come back in, so I helped her clear the table first. "He must care for you a great deal," she said softly.

"He'd do the same for any other village, that's the way he is," I said, waving her comment away.

"It's more than that," she argued. "He's here for you."

"I'm just his servant, mother."

"Give him more credit, he likes you," she said, coming to stand beside me and handed me my cloak. I was wearing boy's clothes today, like Morgana and Gwen.

With a shock I was reminded of last night, but then I reasoned that he was probably just being nice. "That's because he doesn't know me," I said. "If he did, I'd probably be dead by now."

"You don't really believe that, do you?" she asked.

I didn't reply, grabbing my cloak and making my way out to the forest to gather wood.

Will came running after me. "Merlynn! Where are you going with that thing?" he asked, referring to the axe in my hand.

"What does it look like? We need wood," I snapped, and walked on.

"We both know you don't need an axe to fell a tree," he said, smiling.

"And do you remember the trouble it got me into? It nearly flattened Old Man Simmons," I replied, turning around and fighting a grin.

"Yeah, well, he deserved it, stupid old crow," he muttered.

"Hmm, well, he never did like me anyway," I said, smiling now.

Will snorted. "And even less after that."

I chuckled and looked at him. "Why are you being like this?" I asked.

"You know why," he said and went to sit down on the log I'd been about to climb over.

I sat next to him and sighed.

"Why did you leave?" he asked.

"It wasn't what I wanted. Mother was worried, and when she found out you knew, she was so angry…"

"I wouldn't have told anyone," he said defensively.

I smiled at him. "I know you wouldn't have," I said, looking at the tips of my boots.

"Did you love me?"

"Yes… but not enough. I could never have been your wife, Will, and somewhere deep down, I think you knew that. I never fit in here in Ealdor, while in Camelot, I already feel at home. I have a destiny there," I said quietly. "I did love you once, but now there's just nothing left," I added. "Too much has happened, too much time has passed."

"You'd be able to defeat Kanen on your own, wouldn't you?" he asked.

"Probably."

"So what's stopping you? So what if Arthur finds out?"

"I wouldn't expect you to understand," I said angrily, getting up.

"Try me!" he said, equally angry.

"I don't want to lose him!" I shouted. I only realized what that meant when I'd said it. I'd planned to say something like 'Arthur's going to be a great king', but my heart spoke before my brain could.

"Are you telling me you'd rather keep your magic a secret for Arthur's sake, than save your friends and family?"

I didn't reply, looking over to the village, where Arthur was currently teaching the men how to fight.

When I got back with the firewood, I saw Arthur saving Matthew from himself by making him a sentry, to look out for Kanen's men. He was right; Matthew was really bad at fighting, so he was more than glad to be away from the humiliation.

Morgana and Gwen sharpened swords and discussed whether the women should fight as well while I dropped off the wood and walked over to the men, correcting one of the younger boys. They were a bit skittish around me, since I was 'that weird girl' from 6 months ago, but they didn't say anything because I'd brought the prince to them.

"Stand up straighter, and hold your sword a little more to the right so your side is blocked," I explained.

"Merlynn, what are you doing?" Arthur asked, coming to stand next to me.

"Tell me what I said was wrong," I challenged.

Arthur looked over at the youth and in his expression, I saw that I'd been right. "So you have been training?" he asked.

"Yes, and I've watched you train your knights. I know where the most obvious mistakes are. Let me help," I asked.

Arthur seemed hesitant.

"How about a duel then? You and me, right now," I said, loud enough for Morgana and Gwen to hear. The girls looked up at me with wicked smiles.

"You couldn't beat me even if you trained for years," he reasoned.

"I'm not trying to beat you, I know I can't. I'm trying to prove to you that I can fight as well as any of these men."

"Very well. Clear the area!" he shouted. All the men moved aside and the women came out to look. A large circle was formed around us.

"I hope you're ready?" he asked arrogantly.

I smiled smugly. "I am," I said. I held my dagger in my left hand and my sword in my right.

Without warning he lashed out to the right, but I ducked under his swing, and tried to hit him in his back, but the prince was too fast; he parried my swing.

I feigned attacking with my sword to his left, but changed at the last second and managed to rip open his sleeve, leaving a small cut.

"I draw first blood," I taunted, skipping back to avoid one of his swings.

"Lucky hit," he said. Though I knew he was annoyed, I could see in his eyes that he was having fun.

We continued going back and forth like that, occasionally taunting, but I was soon getting tired. My breath was laboured and both my arms shook slightly with exhaustion. We were at a standstill, though Arthur was quite obviously winning. The only reason I'd lasted this long was because I was very adept at jumping and rolling out of the way.

Arthur thrust his sword forward again, but managed to trip me when I ducked out of the way. The tip of his sword hovered over my throat.

We both smiled as he put his sword away and offered his hand. "You're not that bad, but you realize the only reason you're still alive is because–"

"I know how to duck and roll, I know," I interrupted, taking his hand and pulling myself up. "It's not fair, you haven't even broken a sweat."

"Well, you weren't that hard to beat, and I wasn't really trying. But you did better than I expected," he admitted.

"So, how do you think I'd do against Kanen's men?" I asked.

"Horribly, you tripped. We need to work on your footing," he said.

I allowed myself a small smile of victory. "So you're going to let me fight?" I asked.

Arthur opened his mouth to retort, but froze. We were both suddenly very aware that the whole village was staring at us. I stepped back from Arthur, not realizing before how close we'd gotten. "I'll go gather some more firewood then?" I said and left without waiting for a reply, hoping Arthur hadn't seen my blush.

That night, as I lay next to Arthur again, I heard Morgana and Gwen talk.

"We don't stand a chance," Gwen whispered, but I knew she only said that because I couldn't use my powers with Arthur and Morgana there.

"Arthur can't see, he's too stubborn."

"Why do you think he came here?" the maid asked.

"Same reason we did; Merlynn. Arthur may act like he doesn't care, but… he wouldn't be here if he didn't. Personally I think it runs a little deeper than just friendship, but I don't think you'll ever hear Arthur admit to that."

"Arthur isn't the only one who's stubborn when it comes to that," Gwen said. "I just wish… things were different. If Merlynn was a noble, or Arthur wasn't…"

"Life isn't fair like that," Morgana murmured. "We should get some sleep. Goodnight, Gwen."

"Goodnight, Morgana."

I had no idea what to think. Morgana thought Arthur felt something for me? How could he? And an even more pressing question: could I let myself feel that way? I shook myself, the impending fight was what I should focus on, it was much more important. Yet I couldn't stop myself from being selfish and thinking about my personal problems more than those of the entire village…

/*/

**A/N: Whew, that was long!**

Next chapter is nearly finished, so I think I'll be able to post it before next week. ... Hopefully...

Anyway, review!


	14. The moment of truth part 2

**A/N: So here's another chapter, I'm so sorry it took this long for me to update, really, I am! I'd say I'll make it up to you by writing more the next few days, but I'm afraid I won't have the chance to :/ I have to work and after that I'm going to Rome for a week with my family...**

**Anyway, I do hope you'll enjoy it! ^^  
dedication: For Sara, my lovely sister, who always encourages me to write and inspires me more then she'll ever realize. I know she's probably never going to read this, but I still want to say I love her and I never could've gotten this far without her.**

**On with the chapter!**

**Chapter 14: The Moment of Truth (part 2)**

The next morning, while Arthur was explaining something about tactics to the villagers, a woman screamed outside.

Arthur and I were the first to arrive at the scene. Matthew's body lay across his horse as the animal ran toward us, with an arrow sticking out of his back; he was dead.

I stopped the horse and Arthur got the man off. A note had been tied to the arrow, and while Arthur read it, I kneeled by Matthew's head. I wasn't listening to Arthur as I placed my hand on the man's forehead to close his eyes. Suddenly, images flashed across my mind's eye faster than I could interpret them, and as soon as they had come, they were gone again.

Apparently I'd made some noise, because Arthur was now kneeling next to me. "Merlynn, are you alright?"

"I'm fine, it's just… I knew Matthew ever since I was a little girl… seeing him like this…" I lied. Arthur seemed to accept that explanation and got up again. I was still a little shaken about what had just happened.

I'd seen the forest just outside of Ealdor. It was like I'd been sitting on something high, like a horse. I'd just glanced back to the village when a white-hot pain seared across my back. I'd tried to ride back to the village, but then everything went black. With a shock, I realized I must've seen Matthew's last moments.

Shaking it off, I got up too as Matthew's wife, Eileen, ran toward us, screaming her husband's name.

"You did this!" Will's voice sounded as he made his way through the crowd that had gathered. "For all you've done, you've killed him!"

"It wasn't his fault!" I shouted back.

"If he hadn't been strutting around treating us like his own personal army, this would never have happened!"

"These men are brave enough to fight for what they believe in, even if you aren't," Arthur said, though I could see he was a little shocked by Will's words.

"You're sending them to their graves!" Will shouted. "You killed one man. How many more have to die before you realize this is a battle that can't be won?"

Arthur was losing his confidence, and I found myself getting angry at Will.

"When Kanen comes you haven't got a chance. You're going to be slaughtered," Will continued and walked off.

I sent a glace to Arthur and followed him.

"Don't bother, Merlynn, I'm not interested," Will said once I entered his house. He was packing a bag. The coward was running away!

"You should be, because tomorrow Kanen attacks, and whether you like it or not, we'll have to fight."

"Not if I'm not here," he replied, gathering some clothes and putting them in the bag.

"Personally, I think you're a coward, but that's up to you. The rest of us are staying."

Will glared at me, but didn't reply.

"This isn't about Arthur," I said in a softer voice, hoping to convince him to stay. "This is about you family and friends, are you really going to abandon them?"

"What, like you did?" he asked sharply, finally looking up at me.

"There weren't any bandits on my doorstep when I left, and I'm here _now_," I replied angrily.

"Yeah, you are. And you could end this. If you used your magic, no one else would have to die!"

"You know I can't," I said.

"Can't or won't?"

When I didn't reply, he went on. "I'm not the one abandoning these people, Merlynn, you are."

"I can't do it, Will!" I yelled.

"Why not?" he shouted back.

"Because I can't lose him!" I'd said it before I realized what it meant. Will looked at me strangely. "Yes, you were right," I said, trying to hold back the tears and failing miserably. "I've fallen for the crown prince of Camelot. And even though I know we can't ever be together, even though I know he probably doesn't feel the same way, I cannot lose him."

"You were never like this with me," Will said, hurt shining in his eyes.

"I guess you just weren't the one for me," I said, truly sorry.

Will left without another word, and I knew he wouldn't come back.

/*/

**Arthur's POV**

I stood outside Will's house. I'd only heard the last bit of the argument, around the part where Will had said he wasn't the one abandoning these people, Merlynn was. I hadn't understood most of it, but the end was quite clear. Merlynn had fallen for me. I realized I wasn't exactly unhappy about that. But why would she fall for me? I cared for her like a friend, even though I'd never admit that, but… I had no idea how to finish that sentence. What was I supposed to do?

I hid when Will stormed out of his house, and then left to sit on a log outside Hunith's house. Sharpening my sword was mind-numbing enough to let me think without interruption.

Naturally, that didn't apply to Merlynn. She came to sit beside me. "William's father died, fighting for Cenred, so he doesn't trust anyone of nobility."

Going along with the conversation, I asked her whether she thought the villagers had believed him.

"No, he's always been a troublemaker; they're used to ignoring him."

"And if he's right?" I asked, hinting at the other thing on my mind. What if I really was leading these men _and Merlynn_ to their deaths? And Gwen and Morgana?

She paused my actions by putting her hand on mine, waiting for me to look at her. "He isn't," she said. She sounded so sincere, as though she believed nothing else.

"I'm treating these men like soldiers, and they're not. You've seen them fight, they haven't got a clue… We need to tell them to leave the village before Kanen returns."

"No," Merlynn said firmly, moving her hand to my cheek. The contact sent a shiver down my spine. "We're going to stay and we're going to fight. And we're going to win."

"Merlynn, it can't be done," I said, taking her hand from my face in mine. "The odds are too great."

"It can. We're going to make Kanen rue the day he ever came to this village. All you need to do is get the men ready for battle. The rest… will take care of itself."

"How?" I asked incredulously.

"You've just got to believe in them," she said softly, "because if you don't, they'll sense it and the battle will be lost before it's even begun."

I released her hands and stared in front of me. "What really happened?" I asked after a while.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"When you knelt by Matthew's head, you gasped and looked frightened… Why?"

"I told you-" she started, but I cut her off.

"Don't lie to me, I could tell you weren't telling the truth. I just figured you didn't want to say in front of everyone."

She stayed quiet for a little while longer. "You're right. I _didn't_ want to say it in front of everyone, and I _was_ frightened…"

"Then tell me," I implored, looking at her again. She was staring at her folded hands in her lap and wouldn't meet my eyes.

"I'm scared… you'll hate me," she whispered.

"Merlynn, I could never hate you," I told her, cupping her cheek. "Tell me."

I saw her make a decision as she looked at me determinedly. "It's never happened to me before, because I've never touched a dead man, at least not with skin-to-skin contact. I saw flashes… I'm pretty sure they were Matthew's last moments."

My hand dropped from her cheek. Magic? Could Merlynn have magic?

"Are you magic?" I asked, dreading the answer.

She looked at me, pleading, and she looked scared. "It's never happened before, I'm scared. But I'm not evil, I swear." Tears spilt from her eyes and I found myself wiping them away and gathering her in my arms.

"It's okay, I believe you." And I really did.

/*/

**Merlynn's POV**

That night, Arthur spoke to the townspeople, and I couldn't have been prouder of him. His words held so much vigour, so much conviction – and everyone stood beside him, everyone would fight with him. And Gwen had even convinced the prince to let the women fight should they so choose.

While Arthur, Gwen, and Morgana were still out, I walked into my mother's house to see her sitting by the fire. "Come here," she said, gesturing to the seat next to her.

I sat down and she stroked my hair. "I do love you, my child."

"What's wrong?" I asked.

Mother dropped her hand and looked down. "I should never have gone to Camelot…I've ruined everything for you."

"Mother, no, you haven't, why would you say that?"

She looked at me again, worry bright in her eyes. "I know what you're planning to do."

I sighed. "If it comes to a choice between saving people's lives and revealing who I really am or letting them all die… there is no choice."

"You can't let Arthur know about your gift," she said worriedly.

"Why not?" I asked. "Maybe it's meant to be this way. He already knows a part of it and he wasn't afraid or angry. And if he doesn't accept me for who I really am… then he's not the friend I hoped he was."

"I just want you safe," Mother whispered and got up, kissed the top of my head and went over to her bed.

/*/

The next day Arthur and I prepared for battle. I was already wearing much-too-large chainmail and was about to help Arthur into his armour when he stopped me. "Not today. Put on your own," he said.

Arthur finished more quickly with his armour than I did with mine, despite the fact that he had more to put on than I did.

I was still fumbling with the straps on my vambraces when he finished. He stepped closer and did them for me. My breath hitched at his proximity, and I hoped he hadn't heard.

"Are you ready?" he asked gently.

I swallowed thickly, and it had nothing to do with the oncoming battle. "I think so. You?"

He nodded and turned to get his gloves.

"Whatever happens out there, please don't think any differently of me," I whispered, knowing he'd hear.

"I won't. It's all right to be scared, Merlynn," he said, turning to me.

"That's not what I meant."

"What is it?" he asked.

I was about to tell him when Morgana walked in and told us Kanen and his men had crossed the river.

When she was gone, Arthur threw me a pair of gloves. "You might need them, you know… so you won't… touch anyone. Wouldn't want you to break down on the battlefield."

They were well-worn, manly things, but the gesture was incredibly touching. I threw my arms around his neck. "Thank you," I whispered.

Arthur shifted uncomfortably. "It's all right," he said, and headed out.

If Arthur would go to such lengths for my newest gift, he might just accept all the other ones.

Outside, Arthur gave the men some last-minute reassurances, and then we all took up positions. Arthur and I, as well as three other men, hid behind a fence on the west side of the village. Gwen was to seal off the road to the north – from where the bandits would be coming – and Morgana the road to the south.

The plan worked perfectly; Gwen trapped them on her side and we just had to wait for the fire to cut them off on the other. But the fire never came. Something was wrong. I ran for Morgana's hiding place, ducking a few times to avoid the arrows shot at me. It was a close call, and if it hadn't been for my magic, I probably would have died.

"Give me the stones!" I said to Morgana as the men drew closer. The frightened Lady handed them over without a fuss. When I didn't have much more luck, I used a spell to set the hay on fire. _"Forbearne,"_ I whispered.

Kanen's men were trapped, so Arthur gave the signal for the villagers to attack. At first, the battle went fairly well, as we had the element of surprise. Arthur was fighting his way over to me and I to him.

"Don't you _ever_ do that again!" he yelled as he slew one of his adversaries.

"Someone had to do it!" I shouted back, grinning as I fought off one of the bandits.

I killed the man and turned around, looking for the next foe. I was so wrapped up in the battle that I hadn't heard the horses coming behind me. Only when the horse whinnied did I turn around. I was just in time to see a man jumping off the building to my left and onto the animal's rider. It was Will, clad in his father's armour.

"I didn't think you were coming," I said, smiling at him.

"Neither did I," he replied, and then engaged another enemy.

We stood back-to-back, fighting off anyone who came too close. I risked glancing around. We were losing. Left and right villagers, people I had grown up with, fell and didn't get up. I saw Gwen and Morgana struggling to ward the bandits off. Mother was injured on her shoulder, but kept fighting. They were getting tired, making mistakes, being killed…

"There's too many of them," Will said.

"Not for me, there isn't," I said determinedly.

I glanced over my shoulder to make sure Arthur wasn't watching and whispered a spell I'd never used before, a spell that summoned a tornado that only hurt the enemy. What I didn't know was that in the meantime, Arthur had finished off his foe and was now watching the tornado.

It worked like a charm. The bandits that weren't blown against the houses were propelled out of the village and their horses scared away. We had the advantage now. The few men that remained of Kanen's army were slaughtered by the villagers.

I let the wind die down and looked at Will to see him smiling at me.

"Pendragon!" Kanen yelled. Apparently, he had withstood the wind.

Arthur and the leader of the bandits fought. Both endured some hard blows and every time Arthur got hit I winced and was tempted to go over there and kill the other bastard myself and damn the consequences.

In the end though, Arthur won, stabbing Kanen in the gut. He deserved it.

The prince turned to Will and me then, but instead of the look of victory on his face, I saw hurt and anger. "Who did that?" he asked, coming over.

"What?" I asked.

"Wind like that doesn't just appear from nowhere. I know magic when I see it. "He looked straight at me. "One of you made that happen."

"Arthur," I said, but I couldn't go on, the hurt written on his face was too much.

"Look out!" Will suddenly shouted and pushed Arthur out of the way. An arrow sprouted from his chest. With his last strength, Kanen had aimed to kill.

"Will!" I screamed and ran forward to catch him. Arthur also kneeled by me, helping me to support the man.

"You saved my life," Arthur said, seemingly unable to believe it.

"Yeah… don't know what I was thinking," Will said in between grunts of pain.

"Come on, get him inside!" Arthur shouted for some of the villagers standing behind me. I held Will's hand as the men carried him into the nearest house. They put him on the table and left. Morgana, Gwen, and my mother were in the doorway, while Arthur and I stood by Will's head.

"That's twice I've saved you," Will said to Arthur, breathing heavily.

"Twice?" Arthur asked.

Will managed to nod. "It was me. I'm the one that used the magic."

"Will, don't," I said weakly, not even bothering to wipe away my tears.

"It's all right, I won't be alive long enough for anyone to do anything to me… I saw how desperate things were becoming and I had to do something."

"You're a sorcerer?" Arthur asked.

"You say it like it's a bad thing. What are you going to do, kill me?" Will asked, grinning through his pain.

"No… of course not…" Arthur said softly. "Do what you can for him," he said to me.

As he was about to leave, Will gripped his hand. "You need to understand that not all magic is evil. I should know, I've only ever used it for good."

Arthur nodded thoughtfully. "I know."

"And some people are born with it… They can't help it."

"Rest," Arthur said and left us alone, taking the women at the door with him.

"I was right about him, I told you he was going to get me killed," Will said once they were out of earshot.

"You're not going to die," I said firmly through my tears.

"You're a good person, Merlynn. And one day you're going to be much more than a servant to a great King… Now you can still make that happen."

"Thanks to you," I said, stroking his hair.

"This place has been boring without you," he said, but I could tell he was struggling to stay with me. "It was great to see you again.

"You too," I whispered.

"Merlynn… I'm scared," Will admitted.

"Don't be, it's going to be al right. I promise," I whispered and kissed his lips one more time.

And then he was gone.

Grief crashed over me as I looked into his still eyes – eyes that had always been so full of mirth. I sank to my knees and rested my head on his chest as I wept for my best friend.

That's how my mother found me an hour later. "Hush, my child," she whispered and pulled me into her arms, away from Will.

She led me outside and vaguely, I heard her tell the villagers that Will was a hero and that he deserved every last honour.

/*/

As I stood there, numbly watching Will's body burn, Arthur came to stand next to me.

"Are you going to arrest me?" I asked in a hoarse voice, keeping my gaze on the fire.

Arthur frowned at me. "Why would I do that?" he asked.

"Because I associated with a sorcerer."

Arthur remained quiet for a while. "Magic isn't forbidden in Cenred's kingdom… Will did nothing wrong, and therefore neither did you."

"Thank you," I whispered.

Arthur didn't reply, but kept staring at the pyre.

"I'm sorry," he said eventually. "I know you were… close."

"We still are," I replied quietly.

"Before the fight… You were going to tell me he was a sorcerer, weren't you?"

I hesitated, but decided Will's sacrifice shouldn't be for nothing. "Yes."

Again, Arthur hesitated. "Did you love him?"

I paused, having not expected that question. "Once, maybe, but not anymore. Somehow, I always knew we weren't meant to be together."

Arthur left, and most of the villagers followed him toward their houses. Mother came to stand beside me. "You'd better be going," she said softly.

"I don't have to go," I whispered, turning to face her.

"Yes, you do."

"If anything were to happen to you…" I trailed off.

"I know where to find you," she finished. "You have to go, Merlynn. You belong at Arthur's side. I've seen how much he needs you… how much you need him." I glanced over at Arthur as she said that, knowing she was absolutely right. "You're like two sides of the same coin."

I looked back at her. "I've heard someone say that about us before…" I said, and pulled her into a tight hug. "I'm going to miss you."

"I'm going to miss you too," Mother answered, though I could hear the tears in her voice. "When you left you were just a girl, and look at you now. I'm so proud of you." She took my head in her hands and kissed my forehead.

As we rode back to Camelot I thought back to my mother's last words to me. _When the time is right, the truth will be known. Until then you must keep your talents hidden. It's better for everyone._

**A/N: So tell me what you think, 'cause I really want to have more reviews than the other femMerlin fanfics (though I doubt I can reach 170...) and with your help I can ^^**_  
_


	15. Elizabeth part 1

**A/N:**** I'm sorry for the long wait, I know I'm horrible! I hope you're all still enjoying the story! ^^**

**dedication:**** This time I dedicate the chapter to my amazing brother, because he's just awesome and hilarious ^^  
On with the chapter!  
**

**C****hapter 15: Elizabeth - part 1**

The sun shone brightly through the open windows of Arthur's room. I sat on the sill, mending the prince's tunic while the wind played with my hair. It was a perfect summer day. Absently, I listened to the cheerful voices of the townspeople in the market below as they went about their day as usual. Everything seemed so peaceful inside the castle, especially compared to only a little more than a week ago, when Uther had been raging on about how Arthur had disobeyed his orders and risked a war to help a mere peasant village. I couldn't have been more grateful to both Morgana and the prince as they defended me when the King tried to blame me.

I found that I enjoyed Arthur's company a lot these days, and took to being in his chambers or on the training fields as much as possible, even on my few spare moments.

I was shaken from my musings when Arthur strode in, looking decidedly frustrated and exhausted.

"Is something wrong, Arthur?" I asked, putting the tunic down and walking to his side.

The prince dropped into a chair at his table and let his head fall into his hands. "Just tired. And father wants me to ride out with a couple of knights because of some rumours…"

I moved to stand behind him and rubbed his shoulders. "I'll come with you. At least you'll have some good company then," I joked.

Arthur didn't answer right away, instead groaning as I hit a sore spot. "Fine, you can come," he said after some time, "but if you get in the way, I'm going to have to leave you in the forest, tied to a tree for a bunch of bandits to find."

"No, you won't," I said, chuckling slightly.

"Oh? And why wouldn't I?" he asked, a smile playing on his lips.

"Because as much as you might say I'm an idiot, I'm your friend," I said, leaning over his shoulder to look him in the eyes. He stared right back, a thoughtful frown on his face.

The moment was broken when someone knocked on the door. "Sire?"

Reluctantly, I stepped away from Arthur and opened the door. "Sir Leon wants to know when the prince will be ready to ride out," the guard behind it said.

I turned to Arthur, who lifted one finger. "He'll be ready in one hour," I told the man and closed the door as he hurried off.

I went back to stand behind the prince and continued rubbing his shoulders. "I should be leaving to get your gear, shouldn't I?" I said lazily, not wanting to go away. As much as I tried to ignore it, I really did like to be around Arthur, especially lately.

"Yes, you should. But on the other hand, I haven't exactly ordered you to go, have I?" Apparently, he was enjoying his massage.

"I really should go, or you're never going to be finished in time," I said, meaning it this time. With a final swat to the prince's arm I was on my way to the armoury.

/*/

An hour later, as promised, Arthur, Leon, myself, and one other junior knight rode out of Camelot to Greenswold ,one of the outlying villages.

"Some people from the neighbouring village have been seeing a lot of smoke from there over the past few days. They were all too afraid to go look for themselves, so they reported it. You know how these things go: the rumour escalated. The people were starting to panic, so father ordered me to go see if everything is as it should be," Arthur explained.

"You sound as if you don't expect to find anything?" I questioned.

"Because we're following a rumour, Merlynn, and that's probably all it is: a rumour."

I didn't reply, knowing he'd elaborate.

"I've been on countless trips just like this one, following a rumour to appease panicked people. And most of the time it turns out to be a ruse. The worst I've encountered besides the griffin was a thieving boy."

For some reason, an uneasy feeling settled in my stomach, almost as if I knew that this time, it would be a lot worse than just a thieving boy.

/*/

"We're here, sire," the junior knight said about two hours later. "The village lies just beyond that hill."

"You seem to know the place?" Arthur enquired.

The young man smiled and nodded. "Yes, my lord. My aunt decided she didn't like the wealthy life and left my father's castle to live in Oaksville - the village that raised the alarm. She has friends in Greenswold, and she's brought me along a few times."

Arthur nodded and heeled his horse in the ribs, urging it on. I mimicked him, and soon we had crested the hill.

A vast column of smoke rose from somewhere between the houses, most likely the village square. The young knight was shocked into silence, but urged his horse into a gallop toward the village.

"Wait!" Arthur shouted, but found the young knight – who I now remembered was called Bedevere – wouldn't listen, so he urged his own horse to follow. Leon and I did the same.

At a certain point, still quite some distance from the village, Arthur's and Bedevere's horses refused to go any farther. I had to get a little closer to understand why.

"What's that smell?" I asked, looking at Arthur's and Leon's grim faces.

"Burning flesh," Arthur replied eventually. Bedevere, not having been in as many battles as Arthur or Leon, hadn't recognised the smell either, and was now getting off his horse and sprinting towards the houses as fast as he could.

Arthur jumped off his stallion as well and chased after the knight. Leon gave me a look and followed. I took care of the horses, tying them to a nearby tree a little bit farther from the stench.

Although I was quite sure that Arthur would've ordered me to stay by the horses if he'd had the time, I was much too stubborn to let him go into a possibly dangerous situation without me. After checking that the horses were secure, I walked to the village at a more sedate pace than the knights. The bad feeling from before had intensified and was making me nervous and jumpy. I hated it.

I was nearly at the village square when Arthur came around the corner. He looked even more grim now.

"Arthur, what's happened here? The village is deserted, and the fire…"

"It's best if you don't go onto the square, it's not a pretty sight," he said. "Stay here, I'll come and get you. Do you still have your father's dagger?"

I nodded.

"Good. Stay here," he repeated, putting his hands on my shoulders, and pressing down gently to stress his point.

For once I didn't immediately follow him. Since the village was abandoned, there was probably nothing to fear, but that _smell_… that horrible _smell_… I hadn't intended to ignore Arthur's command, but a morbid curiosity drove me to take the last few steps toward the corner.

Nauseated, I stood still in the shadows of the house, unable to tear my eyes from the macabre scene in front of me.

In the centre of the square stood a pyre, and on it lay four men, their eyes white and staring. For a moment, I had a terrible vision of Ealdor burning, but I shook myself, remembering we were on the other side of the country.

Vaguely, I noticed Sir Leon nudge Arthur, who was standing next to the pyre. The prince came over to me and stood in front of me, shielding me from the horrible sight.

"Gods, you're shivering, Merlynn!" he said worriedly, rubbing my arms. Despite the horrible situation, I couldn't help feeling the trail of fire his fingers left behind.

I could just see the scene over Arthur's shoulders, and – unable to hold it in any longer – lent forward and sobbed onto Arthur's chainmail, holding on tightly. I shut my eyes, but was unable to escape the image.

"My lord!" Leon shouted. "You should come and see this!"

I glanced up – wiping away some tears in the process – to see Arthur looking at me questioningly. "It's in one of the houses, perhaps you can sit down there?" he suggested, pushing a stray lock of hair behind my ear. When his finger grazed my skin, a shiver went down my spine.

I nodded silently and let him lead me. Thankfully, he kept between me and the fire, so I wouldn't have to look at it again.

Once inside the house, I felt a bit better. Bedevere sat at the table looking more than a bit lost, and Leon stood next to him. The older of the two knights pointed to a piece of wrinkled parchment. Curiosity got the better of me and I leant over the table and read the letter out loud:

_To whomever finds this, _

_The Black Death wreaked havoc among the people of Greenswold, so they came to me. I am a druid and know plenty of healing, but my power isn't so great that I can cheat death. The people were dying and every last person had been infected, men, women and children alike. I told them to let no one leave or enter the village and to burn the dead. By now only myself and a handful of men remain. We've already built our pyre and will soon be lying down on it. I intend to light it with the last of my strength, so this disease will not spread._

_I managed to protect one that hadn__'t been infected upon my arrival - a child named Elizabeth. It was all I could do. Please, kind stranger, take the child and leave, before the Black Death takes hold of you as well._

The cabin was entirely silent, and I found myself looking around. Part of the room to my right was curtained off. _'Probably a sleeping area,'_ I thought. I made my way over to it silently, and gingerly opened the curtain. I was surprised to feel magic tingling in my fingers when I touched the fabric.

"Merlynn? What are you doing?" Arthur asked, but remained where he was standing.

I didn't reply. The sleeping area was shadowy, and it took my eyes several seconds to adjust. The air was surprisingly fresh; somehow, the smell of burning flesh had not penetrated this room.

My attention was immediately drawn to the far left corner of the room. There, on top of some hay and a few blankets, lay a baby, sleeping soundly.

For a moment, I didn't know what to do, but finally I made up my mind and picked the infant up. She stirred a little, but remained asleep.

I marvelled at the wonder that was in my arms as I walked back to the men. I had always loved small children, often taking care of them back in Ealdor while their mothers worked.

"Where did you get that from?" Arthur's voice brought me back from my memories.

I looked up to see all three men staring at the bundle in my arms. "It's a baby, Arthur, obviously, not a thing, so don't refer to her as 'that'. And I got it from the sleeping area over there," I explained, as though I was speaking to a four-year-old.

He rolled his eyes. "I got that much, but why would you pick it up when the letter you just read said that the Black Death has reigned free here?"

"Because the letter also said that the child had been protected," I replied, starting to get annoyed.

"Yes, by magic! All the more reason to leave the child where it is!" he shouted.

"And let her starve to death? She's only a child, Arthur!" I yelled back.

Leon cleared his throat.

"What?" Arthur and I snapped in unison.

"Not that I want to interrupt, but perhaps you could continue this conversation elsewhere? The plague _is_ highly contagious…" the knight explained calmly.

"You're right. We'll go back to Camelot and I'll report to my father. Burn the houses down. We don't want anyone from the surrounding villages to get the disease."

"Yes, my lord," Leon replied. He and Bedevere didn't waste a second and were out of the door quickly.

Arthur was about to follow when I stopped him. "Arthur… I'm sorry I yelled," I said reluctantly.

"No, you were right. It's only a child… I'll leave the magical protection out of my report, or my father won't hesitate to have her executed."

I smiled at him, knowing he didn't like to apologise. "Thank you."

We made our way back to the horses in silence. The baby's eyes fluttered a few times, but she only woke up fully as Arthur helped me onto the horse.

"Hey there, Ellie," I said, smiling at the little girl.

"Ellie?" Arthur asked, mounting his own horse.

"Short for Elizabeth," I explained. "The letter said that was her name, didn't it?"

The girl began to squirm in my arms as I urged my horse forward, following Leon and Bedevere.

"What's wrong with her?" Arthur asked as he urged his horse on to ride level with me.

"She's probably hungry," I said, holding her against my chest and shushing her gently. Ellie calmed down a little at hearing my heartbeat, but still made her hunger known.

/*/

**Arthur POV**

Merlynn sat in the saddle, completely at ease and only needing one hand to stay o her horse as she held the child to her chest. She actually looked elegant.

"What exactly do you plan to do with her once we've reached Camelot?" I asked, genuinely curious.

She glanced at me briefly before returning her attention to the baby. "I hadn't exactly _planned_ on finding a baby, Arthur. I've no idea what I'm going to do. All I know is, I want to protect her…" She trailed off, staring at the child.

"Well, you can't keep her," I said matter-of-factly.

"And why not?" she asked sharply. I was fairly sure that had she been standing on the ground and not carrying a baby, she would have put her hands on her hips and glared at me. As it was, she only did the latter.

Realising how that sounded, I rushed to explain. "I'm just saying that you already complain about the chores you have to do for Gaius and myself. How would you manage to do all that _and_ raise a baby?"

She sighed in defeat. "I know that, I just wish… I'm going to try to find a family for her, one that'll take good care of her." Merlynn caressed the now-whimpering baby and began to hum softly. I recognised it as a lullaby my nurse used to sing to me, though I had to admit; Merlynn's voice sounded much sweeter**(1)**.

I didn't comment on it, instead asking a question. "I had no idea you were so desperate to be a mother, Merlynn."

"It's not that I'm desperate," Merlynn said, ceasing to sing. "It's more… I don't know… I've always seen myself as a motherly type, and I wouldn't want children _now_, but… Seeing this little one all alone in the world, with no one left… it just makes me want to protect her."

I frowned and concentrated on the ground in front of me again. I had always thought of Merlynn as an idiot, but now… She seemed so at ease, so comfortable holding that child; it was as though I was seeing a new Merlynn.

We were riding into the lower town of Camelot now, and were met by a lot of stares. After all, most of the people that lived there knew Merlynn, and everyone who knew her knew she didn't have a child.

This promised to be a _long_ day.

/*/

**A/N:**** Reviews are love!**

**(1) Mercedes' lullaby from the movie 'Pan's Labirinth' = beautiful! No lyrics, but you should look it up if you haven't heard it ^^**

**Review reply:  
chibichibi98: Thank you so much! I do try to make it go smoothly, though that doesn't always work, at least in my eyes :$ oh well ^^ I haven't written that much of the next chapter, but I'll try to update as soon as I can. Thanks for your review! It made my day! =)  
**


	16. Elizabeth part 2

**Chapter 16: Elizabeth (part 2)**

**A/N: I changed Terri to Circe (minor Greek goddess of magic), because a few of my readers pointed out that Terri isn't a name that was used in the Middle Ages, and I have to agree… I hope you don't mind. I also love the irony that Merlynn named her dog after a goddess of magic and no one but her and Gaius know ^^**

**dedication: To my amazing mother, because she's always there for me. She is a great person, not only to me, but to everyone around her. To me, she means the world to me. If it hadn't been for her, I would've never started writing, since it was her who said: 'So why don't you write a story about it?' So this is for you!  
**

**Merlynn POV**

I dreaded facing Gaius. He was probably going to lecture me again, send me off to bed… and eventually help me find a way out of my newest mess. Taking a deep breath, I steeled my nerves and pushed the door open.

Gaius was busy preparing his herbs for storage: crushing some and putting them in jars, or binding them together. Without turning around he asked, "How was your trip with Arthur? Nothing happened, I hope?"

I closed the door behind me with my foot and leaned against it, careful not to jostle the small child in my arms. "Euhm… Relatively uneventful. Except… Apparently the village had been plagued by the Black Death, and there was only one survivor. A little girl that was protected by magic," I said nervously.

Gaius finally turned around and spotted the girl in my arms. He sighed deeply and turned back around. "I hope you're not planning on taking care of that child?"

For some reason, I was annoyed at his comment. "No, I know perfectly well that I couldn't even if I wanted to. I'm going to try to find a good family to adopt her," I explained.

"And what are you going to do with her in the meantime?" he asked calmly.

"Take care of her?" I said in a small voice. Though it sounded more like a question than a statement

"Merlynn! You know you don't have time for that, you already complain-"

"I know, I know, but I couldn't just leave her there! And I can't drop her off at the nearest family, not knowing how they'd treat her!" I said indignantly. "I'll find a way."

"How? Take her to work with you?" Gaius asked incredulously, walking over to me.

"If I must."

The physician closed his eyes tiredly and sighed. "Very well. I can tell there's no convincing you. Go to the market and get me some milk, will you? I'll teach you how to prepare it for the baby."

I frowned. "I'm a little preoccupied here, Gaius. Can't you go?"

"Didn't you just say you'd find a way to still do your chores?"

"Well…"

"Then hop to it," Gaius said mildly.

I sighed and, with the squirming baby, made my way to the marketplace. In the bustling square, I was afraid I might drop Ellie, but eventually made it to the food and drink stand.

If I thought carrying just a baby through the busy market was difficult, carrying said baby _and_ a bottle of milk was impossible. Luckily for me though, that was when I ran into Gwen.

By then Elizabeth was crying, but it was largely drowned out by all the usual noises of the market.

"Hello, Merl-" Gwen started to greet me, but interrupted herself quite suddenly. "Is that a baby?"

I rolled my eyes. Was everyone I knew going to ask me this? "No, it's a griffin, what do you think?" I asked sarcastically.

The other woman had the decency to smile guiltily. "I'm sorry. What I meant to ask was, where did she come from and can I help you with something?"

I smiled gratefully and managed to hand over the bottle of milk _without _dropping Ellie. I was a little proud of myself. "Her name is Elizabeth – Ellie for short – and I'll explain somewhere more private."

Realization shone in Gwen's eyes as she nodded, motioning for me to follow her. "We can go to my house," she called over her shoulder.

I nodded and started to follow her, but was distracted. With a smile, an idea formed in my head as I purposefully shoved through the crowd to the stall that had caught my attention.

/*/

By the time I entered her house, Gwen was pacing, her gentle face lined with worry.

"Merlynn! I thought- suddenly you weren't there anymore- I didn't- I'm sorry…" she rambled as she hugged me awkwardly, trying not to hurt the baby.

I laughed and sat down at the table. "I'm sorry I worried you, Gwen. But, honestly! What could happen to me in the marketplace?"

The other woman sank into a chair as well and sighed. "Considering all the threats Camelot faces on a near-weekly basis, and that you're always in the middle of everything… I'm surprised you're even still alive, and even more so that you can still smile!"

Taking pity on the maid, I gestured to the still-whimpering child in my arms and smiled. "You said you wanted to know about Ellie?" I asked gently.

Gwen's face cleared slightly and she managed to look intrigued. "Yes," she said, sitting up straighter, "where did she come from?"

"Well, it's a bit of a long story…"

"I've got all afternoon off."

I told her the entire story, and my suspicions about the magic that had been used. When she asked me when I was planning to do with her I let her know about my plans.

Gwen looked at me sceptically. "Have you ever taken care of children before?"

"Of course I have!" I replied, a little indignant. "Back in Ealdor I did it all the time!"

"Let me guess: the mothers always came by to do the feeding?" she asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Well… yes, but-" I tried, but Gwen interrupted me. She had reason enough to be sceptical: Ellie was still crying softly and squirming. I probably looked quite the sight.

"Do you want me to show you how to prepare the milk?" she asked gently, gesturing to the bottle I'd bought.

I nodded and smiled sheepishly. This lesson would probably be much less awkward coming from Gwen as opposed to Gaius's teaching methods.

"And while we're at it, could you help me with this?" I asked, motioning toward the bundle of cloth I'd bought.

"What do you plan on doing with that?" the seamstress asked curiously. She examined the fabric with a keen eye, letting it slide through her nimble fingers.

I smirked. "You'll see…"

/*/

"So, you've decided to come home _today_, have you?" Gaius asked – thoroughly annoyed – as I walked through the door.

"Oh, come on, uncle, it's not even dusk yet, barely time for dinner. And I spent my time well, if I do say so myself," I smirked, closing the door.

"And why, pray tell, is that?" he asked, setting down the vial he'd been holding.

"Well, for one; I learnt how to make the milk babies will drink-"

"Which I could have taught you," Gaius interrupted me.

I continued as if he hadn't said anything. "_and _I made this," I said, showing off what I'd made at Gwen's.

I'd gotten distracted in the market earlier. Ellie had been squirming in my arms and I had feared I might drop her. A woman standing in front of a stall had given me an idea. She had obviously forgotten her basket, so she'd made one using a long piece of fabric. I'd hurried over to the vendor and managed to get a hold on a similar piece of fabric, though this one was much softer. _'Perfect,'_ I had thought. With Gwen's help, I'd made a sort of sling to carry Ellie around in.

Ellie was currently snuggled in and slept on peacefully, unaware of the conversation going on around her. She was _so_ adorable.

"Well, I'm glad your afternoon was so productive, Merlynn, but aren't you forgetting something?" he asked testily.

I frowned, trying to think of anything I'd missed. "I don't think so, why?"

"I don't recall prince Arthur giving you the rest of the day off? He was in here a little while ago, looking for _you_."

I swore under my breath and ran as fast as I dared to Arthur's chambers without jostling Ellie too much. I needn't have worried; she slept on undisturbed.

"Arthur, I'm so sorry-" I started as I entered the room, but it was empty. "Arthur?" I called. I went through his schedule inside my head, before halting myself. The King had cleared the prince's day in case the situation in Greenswold would last longer.

I smiled at the opportunity. If Arthur wasn't here, I could do my chores by magic, and before the prat returned.

But, naturally, my luck didn't allow me that little pleasure. Ellie had woken up and started crying at the top of her lungs. "Shh, Elli- No, please- I don't understand! I just fed you!"

"I think you might need to change his diaper," a feminine voice behind me said.

"Morgana! I'm so sorry for all the noise!" I apologised, turning around.

The Lady smiled and sat down at Arthur's table. "Now, how about getting that sweetheart to stop crying?"

I grimaced. "I doubt Arthur would like me to change a baby on his dinner table. I should go to the servants' washing rooms…"

"Then I'll accompany you. I was planning on annoying Arthur some, but since I don't know where he is…" she shrugged and got up, following me through the door.

"I don't either. I've been with Gwen most of the afternoon, but when I came looking for Arthur he wasn't there. Lucky it isn't time for supper yet, or the entire castle would've heard him yelling at me," I joked.

Morgana laughed merrily. "Yes, Arthur _can_ get quite grumpy when deprived of food."

"Have much experience with that, do you?" I asked with a smile. It was always surprisingly easy to talk to Morgana, though I'd never be as open with her as I was with Gwen.

"Well, there was this one time…" she admitted with a sly smile.

"Tell me," I asked eagerly; blackmail on the prince was something I could _always_ use.

About an hour and five attempts at changing a nappy later, I was sitting in Arthur's room again, alone with Ellie. Morgana had gone her own way.

"You want to see something fun?" I crooned at the child in my arms.

She giggled loudly and made grabbing motions with her hands.

"I'll take that as a yes, then."

I focussed on Arthur's laundry and whispered a spell under my breath. In an instant, the clothes were clean and folded into a neat pile. Ellie laughed gleefully at my show of magic and I noticed her eyes were a dull yellowish gold instead of their usual intense green.

I gasped and looked around quickly for any signs of uncontrolled magic, but there wasn't any. "Ellie, what did you do?" I asked her, knowing full well she couldn't talk yet.

Her eyes were back to normal and she stared at me expectantly. I used magic to clean the floors, but this time, I kept an eye on her. The second Ellie saw my eyes change colour, hers did too.

This meant one of two things: either she was fascinated by my eyes changing colour, and did the same without magic, or she was a shape-shifter. I'd read about those, they started shifting at birth, one part of their exterior at a time. As soon as they'd mastered that part, the next one was available.

Could it be my Ellie was magic? And if so, how could I ever give her to a normal family, not knowing if they'd turn her in to Uther?

I cradled Ellie closer to my chest and sighed. The problems just seemed to keep piling up.

/*/

When I came back to my room that evening, a surprise awaited me. The prince lay languidly on my bed, at the foot of which stood a small crib, humble, but beautiful nonetheless.

"Arthur… What are you doing on my bed?" I managed to say once I'd gotten over my surprise.

"I was going to say 'relaxing', but in your bed that's impossible. I don't know _how_ you manage to sleep on that thing," he said, not bothering to get up.

"You look comfortable enough. And besides, you could always buy me a new one," I quipped.

"I can't really be seen buying furniture for my servant," he said.

I raised an eyebrow. I'd have crossed my arms, but that would've been a little hard while holding Ellie. "Then what's that?" I asked, gesturing to the crib.

Arthur sat up and I could've sworn I saw a blush. "Well… That's different. It's not for you, it's for the baby." His face was turned away from me, but there was no mistaking his tone.

"Hold her, will you?" I asked the prince.

He looked at me dumbfounded. "How… I… Huh?" he stuttered.

Rolling my eyes, but unable to suppress a smile, I deposited Ellie in his arms, adjusting his hold on her once she had settled down. "You're lucky it's easier to do when you're sitting down. You try holding her while doing your chores."

"I'd have given you the day off had you asked," he replied, a little miffed. The effect was somewhat ruined, though, by the look of sheer wonder on his face as he stared down at the little girl who was trying to take the prince's nose. "And besides, you had that thing." He pointed in the general direction of the sling that still hung from my neck.

I smiled; the sight was so endearing. "Fine, can I have the rest of the day off?" I asked slyly.

He looked up and smirked. "No."

"Why-"

"You didn't ask," he replied to my unfinished question.

"I'm asking now."

"You should've asked earlier. Which chores did you do?" His gaze dropped back to the giggling girl in his arms. Her eyes were now a light blue, an exact copy of Arthur's. He frowned. "Weren't her eyes green?"

"Trick of the light," I lied. My voice sounded panicky, even to myself, but fortunately, the prince didn't seem to notice. That, or he was just too absorbed in Ellie's laughs. "I've cleaned your chambers, and done your laundry. I can still brush down your horses and walk your dogs…" I stopped suddenly.

Arthur noticed and looked up. "You miss her, don't you?" he asked quietly.

I sighed and sat down next to him. "Yeah, I miss her." I didn't need to ask who he meant. I'd brought Circe to my mother about a week after we'd left Ealdor. I felt my mother needed more protection, and I didn't regret my decision, as the children in the village loved the playful dog. And I _did_ feel better, knowing my mother was safe… but I still missed Circe.

"She loves it in Ealdor, though, gets along well with the children. Mother even told me she scared away some wild animals when some of the girls were playing in the forest."

I got up again and pushed those thoughts to the back of my mind, since there was no use in thinking about what couldn't be changed. I walked over to the crib and rocked it slightly, testing if it was built right.

"I bought it, not built it, if that's what you're wondering about," Arthur said.

I smiled genuinely at him. "It's lovely. I'm sure she'll sleep well in it."

"I had the stall-owner engrave her name in it…" he said. If I didn't know better, I'd think he was fishing for compliments.

'Ellie' was indeed engraved elegantly in the dark wood of the crib. "You did great, Arthur. I'm sure that if Ellie could read she'd be delighted."

Apparently, he didn't hear the slight sarcasm in my voice and smiled brilliantly at the child in question. "I'm fantastic, aren't I?" he asked her.

I rolled my eyes and went for the door.

"Hey! Where are you going?" Arthur asked.

"To brush down your horses. I can't do it if I have to take care of Ellie, and since you're not doing anything anyway…"

Arthur huffed indignantly, but before he could speak, I said, "Thanks, Arthur!" and fled out the door.

/*/

'_I wish I had my own horse,'_ I thought wistfully as I brushed down Arthur's white stallion. I loved being around horses, and I loved riding them. Arthur didn't know this, but I'd never sat on a horse before I came to Camelot. I was a little smug as I'd found myself to be quite the natural. Maybe it had something to do with the fact that horses understood the Old Tongue and would always, _always_ listen to a command given in that language.

During my short reverie, I'd paused in my actions, causing Shadowfax, Arthur's horse, to turn his head and look at me inquiringly, stomping his hooves. "Socraigh muirnín," I whispered, calming him.

I resumed grooming the animal and continued my line of thought. Right now I used one of the horses the castle kept in reserve, and they weren't exactly the best horses around. I gave Shadowfax a final brush and left the stables, figuring I'd given Arthur enough time alone with Ellie.

/*/

Just as I reached for the doorknob to Gaius's chambers, it opened wide. Arthur stood there, looking as frantic as I'd ever seen him.

"Arthur, what-" I started to ask.

"Merlynn! It wasn't my fault, I swear! I just closed my eyes for a second!"

I gripped the prince's broad shoulders. "Arthur! Calm down!" I shouted.

He took a few deep breaths and looked me in the eye. His panic was clearly visible.

"Now, tell me what happened," I told him, leading him back into Gaius's chambers. It was a complete mess in there, and I couldn't help but wonder why Arthur would do this. I sat him down in one of the chairs at the table and stared into his eyes intently. He seemed to need a little more time to collect his thoughts.

"It's Ellie," he said finally and lowered his head.

Fear clawed at my heart. "What happened?" My voice was barely over a whisper, and laced with dread.

"She's gone."

/*/

**A/N: So what did you think? Like the cliffhanger? Tell me what you think is going to happen!**


	17. Elizabeth part 3

**A/N:****First of all I want to say I am soooooooooooooooooo sorry it took me so long to finish this mep, I had writer's block :(**

**Second of all I'd like to thank my lovely readers and reviewers: Ezzy307, VampireYumi, gummibear2010, ACam, NightWhisperersSong and grapejuice101. You're all amazing and I loved reading your reviews, I can honestly say that your reviews made me go back to writing, even though it was only a little at a time ^^**

**ACam: Yeah, I know (I worded it wrong^^) but I thought Circe sounded prettier than Hecate. For everyone else - as ACam pointed out - Circe is actually Hecate's (actual goddess of magic) daughter, she lives on an island and enjoys turning men into pigs. :)**

**Anywhoo, enjoy the chapter!  
**

**Chapter 17: Elizabeth (part 3)**

"She's what?" I screamed.

Arthur winced at my tone. "I'd just set her down to play with something. I turned away for one second and she was gone! It wasn't my fault!"

I wanted to yell at him and kick him in the arse, but I restrained myself and took a few deep breaths. "We have to go look for her."

"Where?" the prince asked incredulously.

"I don't know, outside? How far could a eight-month-old have gotten?" I shouted. "You search the castle, ask around. I'll go to the lower town," I shooed him out the door, panic clawing at my heart. What if Ellie had used magic? How could I possibly find her?

"Merlynn? We'll find her, I promise." And with that he left.

I kept looking at the door he'd disappeared through for a few seconds before shaking myself. I closed my eyes and concentrated. A faint trace of magic still hung in the air.

'_Okay, if I were a baby, where would I disappear to?'_ I asked myself as I went through the door and made my way downstairs. _'She might've caught a glimpse out my window… That would show her the market! Of course! All those bright colours _would_ attract Ellie's attention!'_

By now I was at the central courtyard. I started running.

It was a Thursday today, and Thursdays were market days. So naturally, I had a lot of trouble getting through the mass of people going from stall to stall.

I was panicking in earnest now, shoving people around me frantically and shouting Ellie's name.

As if an eight-month-old could reply.

Suddenly, a hand gripped my shoulder and whirled me around. Before me stood a man in his mid-thirties. He was a little thin and had brown hair and brown eyes. Beside him stood a young woman, maybe five years older than my seventeen. She had blonde hair and kind, brown eyes set in a roundish face. She was a little smaller than me, but, more importantly, she was holding a very familiar baby in her arms.

"Ellie!" I exclaimed and reached for her. The blonde smiled brightly and handed her over. "Where did you find her?" I asked as I hugged the little girl close. "And how did you know she belongs with me?"

"We've asked around. No one knew who she was, and you were the only one looking frantic enough to have lost a child," the man explained.

"As for where we found her… she just appeared out of nowhere. One moment I was looking at an empty alley, the next I see this little one just sitting there," the woman explained, a small frown on her face. The panic came back, full force. Had they seen her do magic? Would they realize what she was if they had?

I smiled at them, hoping they couldn't see how forced it was. "Well, thank you so much, I thought I'd lost her. I'm Merlynn, by the way." I held out my hand. I figured I'd better be nice lest they notice how nervous I was.

The woman smiled. "Alys, and this is my husband John. Pleased to meet you." She and John both shook my hand before I excused myself, saying I needed to get back home.

As I made my way back to the castle, I decided to find Gwen and ask her if she knew anything about the strange couple.

/*/

As it turned out, Gwen was easier to find than I'd thought. I went looking for her first in Morgana's chambers, and that's where she was, mending one of the Lady's dresses.

"Gwen? Can I talk to you?" I asked.

"Of course, what is it?"

"Do you know an Alys and John?" I asked, sitting down on the chair next to hers.

"Yes, they're a couple that live a few houses down the street where I live. Why?" She asked curiously.

I told her what had happened, and she listened without interruption.

"They're good people, as far as I know; I talk to Alys every morning on my way to the castle, and she's always nice to me. I've only ever heard one rumour about them: they can't have children and it kills Alys. I see them watching the children play sometimes. It's so sad…" Gwen said.

"Do you think they can be trusted?" I asked. "I mean, they wouldn't turn Ellie in if they figured out Ellie has magic, would they?"

Gwen thought about it. "I don't know… They seem to be nice people, but we've been surprised before…"

"Thanks, Gwen. I should go, Arthur is probably… Damn, Arthur! He's still looking for Ellie!" I shot up and bolted out the door, careful not to jostle the little one in my arms.

/*/

It took longer than I'd thought to locate Arthur. I'd already looked in the nobles' wing, the training grounds, the throne room, the council room, the servant's wing, Gaius' chambers, and Arthur's own; I couldn't find him anywhere. Eventually I asked Leon when I passed him in the corridor leading to the armoury.

"Last I saw him, he was heading to the North Tower, I think," he replied politely. I'd always liked Leon. He treated me with respect despite the fact that I was only a servant.

"Thank you! Oh, and, have you heard anything from Bedevere?" I asked, suddenly reminded of the young knight.

Leon looked grim. "He's shaken. Last I heard, he asked the King for a few days' leave so he can visit his aunt."

I nodded. "I hope he'll be alright," I murmured, looking out the window behind the knight. "Thank you for your help, Sir Leon."

He smiled. "You're welcome, Merlynn," he said, turning on his heel and going on to the armoury.

I changed my hold on Ellie, who'd fallen asleep again sometime during the conversation. I was starting to wonder if she ever did anything else besides causing trouble, eating and sleeping.

I was really worried about the small girl sleeping on my chest. If she was magic, I couldn't just leave her with some family, not knowing if they'd turn her in to Uther. She wouldn't be safe anywhere but with me. Arthur was just going to have to deal with it or get a second servant.

I chewed on my bottom lip as I thought it over. I really wanted to raise her myself, but with all the dangers Camelot faced on a near-daily basis, was it really that safe? How long would it be until one of my enemies decided to use her against me? If they got to me they could get to Arthur… And besides the danger, I just didn't have that much time what with my chores for Gaius and Arthur and studying magic…

For a second the Druids popped into my head, but I dismissed them just as quickly. A forest just wasn't the place for a young girl to grow up in.

'_So what options do I have left?'_ I asked myself as I made my way up yet another staircase. _'What _can_ I do?'_

Then an idea came to me, so obvious I stopped dead mid-step. _'I could leave her with a family that supports magic. People who have the time and the means to take care of another child. Why didn't I think of that before?'_

But I didn't know who could be trusted.

I shook my head and continued to walk, deciding to keep an eye out. Perhaps, if someone proved trustworthy…

I went through the door at the top of the stairs and saw Arthur the moment I stepped through. "Arthur!" I called.

The prince whirled around and, upon seeing the child in my arms, stalked towards me. "You found her? Where? _When_?" he asked as he came to a stop right in front of me.

"About half an hour ago, in the market place. Some of Gwen's neighbours found her and handed her back to me. I've been searching for you since then," I explained, but Arthur simply looked angry.

"I've been worrying myself sick, and searching the entire castle, and you were having a nice _chat_ with some neighbours?" he said angrily.

I had the decency to look a little ashamed. "I _did _look for you, just… not immediately…" I frowned. "Why were you looking for a baby in a _tower_? It's not like she can climb the stairs."

Arthur's ears turned pink. "Oh, shut up, Merlynn!" He fixed his eyes on the child in question and took Ellie from my arms. "And where have _you_ been? I was worried," he said to the little girl, but he wasn't angry. At least, not at _her_.

I smirked at the prince. When Arthur looked up and saw my expression, he rolled his eyes. "Shut up, Merlynn," he repeated.

My smirk grew into a grin. "I didn't say anything."

"You didn't have to," Arthur replied, turning around and walking back toward the stairs.

I chuckled quietly and followed him. Life was certainly never boring being Prince Arthur's servant.

/*/

When I got back to my uncle's chambers, Gwen was there, explaining that Morgana had given her a few free hours - lucky her. Gaius was on the other side of the room, preparing a remedy.

"Where's Arthur?" Gwen asked as I handed Ellie over to her.

"He went back to his chambers. He's brooding because I didn't go look for him immediately," I explained with a small smile. For an adult, the prince could be very childish. "Can you feed her?" I asked. Gwen smiled and nodded.

I sighed and headed over to Gaius, taking the jars out of his hands. He was preparing a remedy I knew well: one that fended off fever.

"I've got a question," I started, but hesitated, keeping my eyes on what I was doing.

My uncle turned to me and raised an eyebrow. "Well, go ahead, Merlynn."

Setting the jars down, I bit my lip and toyed with my braid. "You wouldn't happen to know any spells or potions that can compel people to tell the truth, would you?" I asked as nonchalantly as possible, staring at Ellie's antics instead of him.

Gaius frowned. "Why would you want to know?" he asked suspiciously.

I glanced at him, before returning my gaze to my friend and the child. "I need to find someone to take care of Elizabeth, and I'd been thinking about finding a couple…"

"Who?"

"No one in particular, except… Alys and John, do you know them?" I asked, turning away from the happy scene.

Gaius' eyebrows shot up. "I'll take that as a yes," I said, frowning at his reaction. Could this be bad?

"You mean to give the child to them?" he enquired, leaning forward slightly.

"No! No, no, no. I was just considering the possibility of finding a normal family that supports magic. I can't let her be raised by the druids, Gaius… I want her to have a normal life. For as long as that is possible, at least," I explained.

"Well, Alys and John are nice people as far as I know. Lived in Camelot all their lives, but I don't know them personally. I fear that if you want to find a family that supports magic, you'll have to look outside Camelot. The people here have seen too much of the damage magic can wreak. But I'll keep my eyes open," he assured me.

"Thank you, Gaius," I said with a smile.

He smiled back and kissed my forehead. "Just be careful, my dear."

"I always am," I replied, going over to Gwen and Ellie. I plucked the little one out of Gwen's arms and swung her upwards, causing the girl to giggle.

I pressed kisses all over Ellie's face and belly, making her giggle even more loudly. I then held her close to me. "You know I love you, don't you, little one?" I whispered. Somewhere in the back of my head, I was aware that Gaius and Gwen were looking at me sadly, but I ignored them. "Let's go, sweetheart, we have a prince to feed."

/*/

Late that night, after Ellie had _finally_ decided to go to sleep, I crawled into my bed, hoping for a nice reprieve from my troubles. I was wrong. I had a dream: I was standing in the marketplace, but it was deserted. I looked around, blinking in the bright sunlight, straining my ears to see if I could hear anything. Suddenly, a baby's laughter echoed through the empty streets.

"Ellie?" I called, but the only answer I got was my own echo. I heard it again, and got a sense of direction this time. I ran down the main street, toward the centre of the lower town.

From the corner of my eye, I saw a ghostlike shadow, but by the time I'd turned, it was gone. I ran in that direction next, through a small alley into another one of the bigger streets. Hearing the laughter again, but clearer now, I slowed down, sure it must've come from one of the houses here. The shadow moved again, just out of my line of sight, and I whirled around, just in time to see a door creak open. I knew I should have been afraid, but all I felt was a deep-rooted calm.

Walking slowly, I went to the house and peeked around the door. Inside I saw a little girl of maybe three years old, standing on top of a chair. She had lovely brown curls and a heart-shaped face. To the girl's left stood a man with muscled arms and a gentle smile on his face. His right arm was around the waist of a brown-haired woman, who was wearing a similar smile.

As I looked at the little girl, her eyes changed from green to blue. "Ellie, don't do that, what if someone saw?" the woman chastised mildly.

"Come on, Helena, no one is watching, and she has to practise her powers or she'll never control them properly. Isn't that what Merlynn said?" he said with an even wider smile.

"Auntie Merlynn! Can we go see her, mommy?" the girl asked the woman.

"Not today, sweetheart - she's busy, I'm sure. Isn't she, Thomas?" she asked the man, who only grinned in return.

Instead of looking at her parents, the little girl stared right into Merlynn's eyes then. "You need to find this family, Merlynn," a disembodied voice whispered in my ear.

I whipped around, but there was literally nothing there. The streets and houses were gone, as was the scene I'd been watching. Feeling a little panicky, I turned back around, only to be confronted by the little girl that was Ellie. Startled, I took a step back.

"We need you concentrating on the young prince, Emrys. You must find this family soon, for trouble is headed for the Once-And-Future-King," she said, but the voice wasn't the girl's. It sounded ancient, and magical, nothing like Ellie's voice had been in the vision.

"What do you mean? Who is we? Why are you speaking like this, Ellie?" I asked, willing my erratically beating heart to slow down. Panic was one thing I couldn't use right now.

"We are merely using this image as a vessel; we have a tendency to come across as rather intimidating in our true forms. As for who we are… You will find out in due time, young sorceress. But all this matters not. The young prince is to face danger again soon. He must survive, at _all_ costs, Emrys. Remember this, when you are at the Isle," she said in that same, unnatural voice. It made my skin crawl.

"The Isle? What Isle? I don't understand!" I yelled, but the image of Ellie had disappeared again and I was left standing in the darkness.

I awoke with start, breathing hard and heart beating fast, cold sweat covering my body. I looked around wildly, almost expecting the three-year-old Ellie to jump from behind my cupboard. But all I could see was baby Ellie, sleeping soundly in her cradle at the foot of my bed. Taking a calming breath to steel my frayed nerves, I climbed out of bed and got dressed silently.

I couldn't stop thinking about my dream. Was it a sign? Should I really go look for this family, just because some voice in my head told me so?

Camelot was really driving me crazy if I was starting to hear voices and listen to strange creatures from my dreams.

Another deep breath and my heart had slowed down to its usual rhythm. I pulled on my dress, tightened the laces and bound them. I wasn't looking at the floor – which was littered with stuff – and managed to trip over a book and stub my toe against the wall when I tried to brace myself. I cursed as silently as possible, but Ellie woke up anyway. The baby screamed at the top of her lungs, and I winced at the volume.

"Damn," I whispered, and walked over to her, lifting the small child out of the cradle. "Shh, it's okay, sweetheart, I'm here," I said to her, but she was still screaming.

I pushed the door open with my uninjured foot and hurried down the handful of stairs that led up to my room. Gaius was already waiting for me, a bottle of milk in his hands. He raised an eyebrow at my haggard appearance.

"Thank you, Gaius, you're lifesaver!" I said and took the bottle from his outstretched hand.

"And don't you forget it," he replied with a smile.

While I fed Elizabeth, I told my uncle of my dream. "Could it mean something? And what did they mean by 'the Isle'?" I asked.

"I'm not sure about either question, Merlynn, but I'll ask around for these people. The least we can do is check up on them."

I nodded, turning my attention back to the child in my arms. As I looked at her, her eyes changed from a dull grey to cerulean blue, just like my eyes. I frowned. "What do you think she is?" I asked Gaius, hoping he could provide the answer.

"She could be any number of different kinds of sorceresses, or she could be a shifter," he replied evenly, spooning some porridge into my bowl.

"Shifter?" I enquired, glancing up at him.

"A type of witch that often doesn't have any other magic, except that she can change her appearance at will. She can change anything she wants about herself; from the colour of her eyes to her age," Gaius said, eying the baby.

"Then why not just call them shape-shifters?" I asked.

"There is a difference. Shape-shifters are a different kind of magic users. Shape-shifters are magical folk that can transform into an animal at will. None of this matters, though. You already knew she was magical…" Gaius reasoned.

"You're right, of course." I was going to say something else, but Ellie had just finished her bottle and demanded all my attention.

Gaius regarded me. "Be careful, Merlynn," he advised quietly.

I smiled softly. "Of course, Uncle. I promise."

/*/

Ellie was securely sitting in the sling when I pushed open the door to Arthur's chambers with my foot. Balancing the tray with one hand and keeping the other on the child's back, I walked over to the table and put down my load. "Good morning, sire! Rise and shine!"

Arthur grunted incoherently and turned around.

I rolled my eyes at him and opened the curtains with a flick of my wrist. It wasn't like the prince was awake enough to notice anyway. I was about to just pull the covers back and expose Arthur to some healthy, bright sunlight, when a squirming Ellie gave me another Idea.

I put Ellie on the pillow next to the prince's head and let her go about waking Arthur her way. While I was gathering the Prince's laundry I hear a startled yell.

Ellie was pulling on Arthur's hair with one hand and on his ear with the other, laughing brightly all the while. I smothered a laugh of my own.

"Merlynn, why-?" Arthur started to ask, but was distracted by a particularly hard pull on his ear. Letting go of the man's hair, Ellie now thought his mouth looked even more inviting. She was trying to get her pudgy little fist inside the prince's mouth, while I had to slap two hands over my lips to keep from laughing aloud.

Arthur did his best to dislodge the toddler's little hand from his mouth, but while he was struggling with that, the girl had grabbed hold of his hair once again.

Feeling sorry for the Prince, I walked over and got her off of him, putting her on my hip. Ellie didn't like her toy being taken away from her, so, in revenge, she took my butterfly necklace and started chewing on it. "No, Ellie, don't!" I said and pulled it from her teeth.

The child then decided she was still tired and put her head on my chest and fell asleep instantly.

In the meantime, the Prince had gotten out of bed and was standing beside me. "Now tell me, Merlynn, why you thought the right way to wake the Crown Prince of Camelot was by putting a baby on his head?"

Though he clearly wasn't pleased, I couldn't help but laugh again. "It was just so funny, I couldn't resist,"

Arthur rolled his eyes and went over to his screen to get dressed while I continued cleaning up the room. It seemed Arthur had done some reading and had a goblet of wine the night before.

It was a little unpractical to clean with a child in my arms, so I lay her down on the centre of the prince's bed. Taking a minute to watch her tiny sleeping form, I wiped a stray lock of hair out of her closed eyes. Vaguely, I realized Arthur had come to stand behind me and was watching the little girl over my shoulder.

"Strange to think such a little creature will grow into a woman, isn't it?" I whispered, careful not to wake Ellie.

"Hmm… Have you figured out what to do yet?" he asked quietly.

I sighed, raking a hand through my hair. "Not exactly… I've decided to find a family for her, hopefully Gaius can help, but I'm not sure how successful that will be…"

Arthur put a hesitant hand on my shoulder, keeping his eyes on Ellie. "I'm sure it'll work out somehow, Merlynn, I know it will."

Turning around to face him, I smiled. "Thank you, Arthur."

The prince seemed a little uncomfortable and removed his hand. "Yes, well… you still need to do my laundry, brush down the horses, muck out the stables and walk my dogs," he said with an arrogant smirk.

'_Nope, all comfortable now,' _I thought as I rolled my eyes. He'd never change. "Fine. You'll watch her?"

"I'll look after her," he assured me quietly and turned to the sleeping child as I picked up the laundry basket and walked out of the room.

**A/N:**** So? Tell me what you think! **

**By the way, has anyone read switched by Amanda Hocking? I think it's a great book and it sucks that there are no fanfictions out there about it :(**

**Reviews are love!**


	18. The labyrinth of Gedref part 1

**A/N: ****So... I'm not quite dead yet, not have I dropped off the face of the earth... I'm really sorry for not updating any sooner, I'd meant to, but this episode just sucks to write :/  
Don't worry about Ellie, her solution will come soon. As for Arthur and Merlynn, well... you'll just have to see won't you?****  
**

**I've mapped the entire story out up to the fourth season, which is also where I'll end it (since season 5 takes place years after 4, or so rumour has it), the canon timeline will be messed up some, though, e.g. Gwaine will come a little earlier.  
Anyway, I really hope you'll enjoy, because it might not be until the end of August before I update again, because I'm preparing for my year abroad (Arkansas, here I come!)  
**

**Thanks to all my lovely reviewers and readers, I love all of you. Thank you to saroura92, Mai Ascot, angelrider13 and grapejuice101 (-4th time now, right?) for reviewing my last chapter!  
**

**So without further ado:  
**

**Chapter 18: The Labyrinth of Gedref – part 1**

I concentrated on making as little noise as possible as Arthur, Bedevere, another knight and I made our way through the woods. We were hunting. Arthur was up front, creeping through the thicket, followed closely by Bedevere and the knight whose name I'd forgotten. I tried to keep as far back as I could without drawing attention to myself. I understood the necessity of hunting, but that didn't mean I wanted to see small animals being killed.

It also didn't help that, since I'd discovered that new power in Ealdor, I'd been able to feel the spark of life of any creature if I concentrated on it.

Arthur had obviously heard something I hadn't, since he motioned for the rest of us to stop. He made some weird hand-gestures that the knights seemed to understand and whispered my name.

"What is it?" I asked, my eyes on the path in front of us.

"I don't know… We'll surround it. I want you to go in there and flush it out," the prince explained in a whisper.

"You want me to go in there? You just said you don't know what's in there, it could be dangerous!" I whispered back.

"Let's hope so! Now go!" The prince gave me a shove, and with a mumbled insult, I walked down the path, deliberately stepping on some twigs.

I was really happy I'd given up on dresses. Ever since I'd almost fallen down with Ellie in my arms, I'd taken to wearing breeches and a tunic, like I'd done when we'd gone to save Ealdor. Gwen had adjusted them for me and made sure I had an extra shirt. Arthur _had_ grumbled about it at first, saying it wasn't proper, but he'd given up when Gaius had given me a brown vest to go with my new clothes.

Back in the present, I picked up a thick branch, hoping to defend myself if it turned out to be a wild boar, or something equally dangerous. But as soon as I'd stepped into the clearing, I dropped it.

I stared open-mouthed at the beautiful, white _unicorn_ that grazed there. The magnificent animal turned its head toward me and stepped forward. I was drawn by its ethereal beauty and held up a hand to stroke its snowy fur. The creature pressed its muzzle against the palm of my hand, and I could feel the magic inside me purr like a cat.

A slight sound behind me made me realize where I was, what I was supposed to be doing.

"Get out of here!" I whispered frantically, pushing at its muzzle. "Go, they're going to kill you!" But the unicorn stayed where it was, rubbing against the hand that was pushing it away.

Turning around, I saw Arthur get into position and I shouted. "Arthur, no!"

I was too late. The crossbow bolt hit the unicorn straight in the chest. I knelt by its head, tears forming in my eyes. Gently, I stroked the poor creature's muzzle, murmuring soft reassurances as it lay dying.

"Ha ha! A unicorn!" Arthur said as he walked into the clearing. He didn't seem to find this a sad moment at all.

"What have you done?" I whispered, ignoring the lone tear that slid down my cheek.

Though Arthur did seem a little less comfortable, he didn't want to show it in front of his men. "Don't be such a _girl_, Merlynn."

But I wasn't listening to him. Behind Arthur stood an old man, clad in white robes. He stared at the fallen unicorn with a deep sadness in his eyes. Then he turned his eyes on me and I could feel my magic tingling at the raw power this man emanated.

"What are you looking at?" Arthur asked, turning around only for the sorcerer to disappear before he could see anything.

"Nothing," I said distractedly, diverting my gaze back to the dying unicorn in my lap. I continued stroking the creature's mane, ignoring Arthur and the other knights, and spoke softly. "I'm sorry," I whispered. "I'm so sorry."

The unicorn stared at me with intelligent, liquid, black eyes unblinking in death.

/*/

I hadn't wanted to see Arthur cut the horn off the once-magnificent animal, so I'd wandered off to the horses, not saying a word to all of Arthur's barbs about being too sensitive.

Twenty minutes into the ride to Camelot, I finally spoke up. "Why do you take me on these hunting trips, anyway? You're always complaining how I get in the way, and scare away the game, and that I'm too much of a girl… Why don't you just leave me at the castle?" I asked quietly, so only the prince would hear.

"I don't have to explain myself to you, Merlynn," he replied arrogantly, though I could see _something_ underneath his prattish exterior. But before I could figure out what it was, it was gone.

"There's just no changing you, is there?" I mumbled under my breath, knowing he wouldn't be able to hear, but not particularly caring if he did.

/*/

Back at the castle, I watched Arthur present the unicorn horn to his father with thinly veiled disgust. Luckily for me, Uther never paid any attention to servants.

As soon as Arthur dismissed me, I hurried to Morgana's chambers, where I knew Gwen and Ellie to be.

Gwen handed her over to me and I hugged her close. "I missed you, little one," I whispered. Ellie giggled and fisted the few strands of my hair that had gotten out of my braid in her tiny little fists.

I excused myself from the presence of the two women and made my way to the castle's central courtyard, where Gaius was waiting for me.

"I just don't understand how Arthur can have taken any pleasure from killing a unicorn," I said, thinking back to how the creature died.

"Arthur's a hunter, it's in his blood, whereas you're something entirely different," Gaius replied, walking with me.

"It was the most beautiful creature I had ever seen," I said softly, slowing to a stop. "I wish you'd been there."

"It is a real privilege, alas, there are very few unicorns still alive."

"You try telling that to Arthur," I said, a bit angrily.

"I can imagine it would be difficult," Gaius answered, turning towards the town to do his rounds, while I went to Arthur's chambers.

Ellie slept through it all.

/*/

"My horse threw a shoe; take it to the blacksmith, make sure he does a good job. And when you've done that, you can polish my s… saddle…. Merlynn!" he shouted when he finally noticed I wasn't paying attention.

I had been staring out the window, absently stroking Ellie's back as I thought about the unicorn and what Gaius had told the King about it: that bad fortune would befall those that killed one.

Thankfully, Ellie had been awake when Arthur shouted my name, so she didn't start screaming. She only let go of my braid – with which she'd been playing – to look over at the prince curiously. It did shake me from my reverie, and I turned around to face Arthur.

"Have you listened to a word I've said?" he asked.

I nodded, but didn't say anything. If I mentioned the unicorn again, he'd only get angry.

"You've had a face like a wounded bear ever since we got back from that hunting trip," he said, sitting back in his chair. "Oh, don't tell me, you're still upset about the unicorn?"

I turned back to the window and refrained from voicing a biting comment, but only because Ellie had now turned her attention back to me and was currently struggling to put my butterfly necklace in her mouth.

Arthur got up when I didn't reply and sat on the side of his bed.

"I'm sorry my Lord, I didn't think my face was capable of looking like a bear. I'll aspire to look better in the future… And I don't think you should have killed it."

"Oh, really?" he said sarcastically. "Why is that?"

I knew he wasn't really interested, but I felt he needed to know. It was my job to turn him into an actual human being after all. "It was doing no harm. What purpose did you serve by killing it? Aside from appeasing your father, that is."

Arthur would never admit it, but I knew him better than anyone else. I knew that he was acting all annoyed because he didn't like me being angry with him. Unfortunately, that didn't mean he felt at all sorry about what he'd done.

"We were hunting, that's what you do. We couldn't bring it home as a pet."

I sighed and was about to turn back to the window when Arthur's voice stopped me. "Look at this!" he said, sounding angrier than before.

"What?" I asked, walking around the bed to where he was now standing.

"Do you know what that is?" he asked rhetorically, pointing to something half hidden under the bed. "Rat droppings! My chambers are infested! You need to spend less time worrying about unicorns and more time worrying about rats!"

We were interrupted by loud knocking on the door. Arthur called for the person outside to enter.

"My Lord, the King requests your services as a matter of urgency."

Arthur glanced at me and told me to find that rat before hurrying out to follow the guard. Ellie just continued sucking on my necklace, but I tugged it out of her mouth. Whispering a mild protection spell so it wouldn't get damaged, I untied the cord and gave it to her. I still cared about Will, but no longer in the way I had when he'd given it to me. Ellie would be far happier with it than I ever was.

/*/

Apparently, all the crops in the entire kingdom had died overnight, and I had a bad feeling about this.

I'd left Ellie with Morgana, at the Lady's own request, and was currently in Gaius' chambers, watching as he conducted some sort of scientific experiment.

"Any idea what caused the crops to die?" I asked.

"I've yet to complete all the tests, but no disease I've heard of can spread through the entire kingdom in a single night."

I frowned and came to stand next to my uncle, watching closely at what he was doing. "Well, what could kill all the plants other than a disease?" I asked curiously.

"It's not killing all the plants, the trees and hedges around the fields are unharmed, unfortunately, you can't eat trees and hedges."

And idea started to form in my head. "It's only killing plants we can eat?" I asked softly.

"It appears so," Gaius replied. The idea took form, as I remembered the illness I'd saved Gwen's father from.

"If it's not a disease, it must be magic," I said with certainty, leaning on the table.

"We can't assume that, Merlynn. Perhaps there is something in the soil or water that can explain this. I can't tell the King it's caused by sorcery until I'm absolutely certain."

He was right, of course. The second the King thought magic might be involved, he would start rounding up everyone suspected of associating with magic users, whether he had grounds for his suspicions or not. So I remained silent.

/*/

Soon, the people from the village and surrounding areas came to the city to get their share of the grain that was still stored at the castle. While Arthur reported to his father, Morgana and I went back and forth along the line, trying to comfort the people.

A little girl tugged at my sleeve as I surveyed the rows of people, one hand on the sleeping Ellie's back. I bent down and smiled at her. "Hello."

"I'm hungry," she said. She was adorable, even though her hair was messy and her dress torn at the hem.

"Well, luckily, you're almost at the front of the row, and then you can go home and get something to eat," I said, stroking her hair.

A brown-haired woman put a hand on the girl's shoulder. "I'm sorry, Marian doesn't usually talk to strangers."

Something about the woman seemed familiar. I straightened and looked into her warm brown eyes. "She didn't bother me. Your daughter is an adorable little girl," I commented.

The woman smiled. "She's not my daughter. Her mother, our neighbour, couldn't make it today and asked if we could take her. I'm Helen, by the way." She extended her hand, a smile still on her lips. Her husband turned around then and put an arm around her hips.

With a shock I realized why she seemed so familiar. This was the couple from my dream, the one I was supposed to leave Ellie with. My left hand moved to lie protectively on Ellie's back. Then I realized Helen was still waiting to shake my hand, so I did.

"I'm Merlynn, I'm the prince's maidservant," I said, forcing a smile.

"And I'm Thomas, Helen's husband," the man said. They both seemed friendly enough, but I felt strangely protective of Ellie, like they would rip her from my hands right this instant.

As I shook the man's hand, he frowned. "Emrys?" he whispered. Had I not been standing so close, I probably wouldn't have heard it.

I dropped his hand immediately and took a step back. Helen's reaction was immediate. She gently pushed Marian towards her husband, put her hand on my arm, and pulled me away from the crowd, far out of earshot, into the shadows. "Please, my husband is just confused, he didn't know what he was saying," she whispered, panic clear in her voice.

I frowned. "Why are you afraid?" Then it dawned on me. "You think I'm going to turn you in. Because I'm the prince's maidservant."

Helen refused to look at me. "Will you?"

"That depends," I replied evenly.

Finally the other woman looked at me, her gaze steady. "On what?"

"On whether you're willing to tell me how your husband knew that." Both my hands were now on Ellie's back as the child continued sleeping in her sling.

Helen looked relieved and sagged against the wall behind her. "So he was right, you are Emrys?" she asked in a whisper.

Every fibre in my being shouted at me to keep my bloody mouth shut, but naturally, my mouth acted before my brain could stop it. "Yes. But how did he know?"

Helen smiled hesitantly. "Thomas used to be a druid. He can feel if someone has magic and to what degree. He must've felt something substantial to come to this conclusion so quickly," she whispered.

"You support magic?" I asked. I really needed to know where I stood with these people.

"Yes, we do."

"You realize I can't just take your word for it. I'm sorry, but these are dangerous times."

Helen smiled sadly. "Of course. I could give you the whereabouts of my husband's old clan, but I don't think they'd appreciate that, no matter who you are. So I'm afraid you'll have to take my word for it."

A smile tugged at my lips. "Well, at least I know you can keep a secret."

Helen gave me a genuine smile. "I have to return to my husband. Have a good day… Merlynn," she said and returned to the line waiting for food.

A little bemused, I walked towards the castle, planning to see if Gaius had come up with something yet. I was passing by the water pump used by most of the villagers when I heard someone call my name.

Gwen stood there, about to fill a bucket of water that she was no doubt going to distribute among the people waiting in line. "Is it true what they're saying about the crops? They're all dead?"

"It appears so. I think we may all have to start tightening our belts," I replied, and continued walking.

I stopped when Gwen said something else. "I'm sure Arthur will think of something," the maid said.

I smiled. "And if he doesn't, I will."

I'd already turned the corner when Gwen's panicked voice reached me. I doubled back immediately, careful not to wake Ellie as I jogged.

My eyes were drawn almost immediately to the pump Gwen was operating: all that came out of it was sand.

First we had no food, and now we had no water.

/*/

"Arthur!" I shouted as I ran along the corridor leading off the central courtyard. I'd left Ellie with Gwen because I couldn't run as fast with her in my arms.

"Arthur!" I shouted again, and this time he turned around.

"What is it, Merlynn? I have a lot of work to do."

"The water," I panted, "it's turned into sand!"

Without another word Arthur followed me to the well in the courtyard and lowered the bucket. It came back up filled with sand.

/*/

While Arthur was briefing Gaius and Uther, I picked Ellie up and went back to my room, trying every spell in my spellbook that was even remotely tied to water. It made me thirsty. Nothing worked.

Ellie soon got bored, though, so I conjured some orbs of light that were semi-corporeal so she could play with them. As she started making happy, gurgling noises, I turned back to my book and continued trying every spell.

When Gaius walked in, I jumped and quickly closed my spellbook; Ellie's orbs disappeared. "Um, I was just… I, um…" I stuttered.

"I was hoping you might be trying to turn it back into water," he said, looking at the bucket of sand that stood at my feet. "I know I've cautioned against using magic, but if ever there was a time to use your talents, it's now."

I sighed and recreated the orbs for Ellie before she could start crying. "I wish I knew how. I've tried everything," I said, opening my spellbook again. "If it is magic, it's more powerful magic than I possess."

I continued to leaf through my book for at least another hour after Gaius left, hoping for some clue as to what this was…

/*/

That night, with Ellie safely in her crib, I walked out into the central courtyard, hoping to get another look at the sand from the well. Naturally, I had no such luck.

"Merlynn!" Arthur shouted from the opposite side of the courtyard. "You do realize there's a curfew," he said, walking over to me.

"Yeah, I was in your chambers, looking for the rat," I lied. I couldn't exactly tell him I'd been trying to change the sand back into water using my magical skills, could I?

"Did you find it?" He sounded far too patronising for my liking.

"No."

"So you have been outwitted by a rat?" he said, sounding amused.

I suppressed a grin. "They do say rats are very intelligent."

"More intelligent than you, it would seem. Go home. It'd be embarrassing to have to lock up my own servant for breaking the curfew, and I'm sure you wouldn't want to leave Ellie alone–" he said, but stopped suddenly, looking over to something on my right. "What was that?"

I looked over, but I didn't see anything out of the ordinary. "What?"

Arthur ignored me and started running towards the door he'd been looking at, so naturally, I followed.

'_Thank the gods for pants,'_ I thought briefly.

Whatever Arthur was chasing, it was guiding us towards the lower levels of the castle – the catacombs, to be exact.

At the bottom of the stairs Arthur made some vague motions with his hands, which I assumed meant something, and started walking towards the right-hand corridor. I just stayed where I was, and as soon as Arthur noticed he rolled his eyes and walked back to me.

"That means you go that way and cut him off," he whispered angrily.

I nodded and did as I was told, but I met Arthur at the other side without meeting anyone. We saw a shadow coming from behind me, so Arthur motioned for me turn back and cut him off on that side, while he took the other.

I arrived back at the stairs leading towards the main castle without passing anyone. "Where is he?" Arthur asked urgently as he ran up to me.

"I didn't see anyone," I replied, looking around as if I expected whoever we were chasing to magically appear out of nowhere. Now that was an interesting thought. _'There has to be a way of magical transport, right?' _I thought. I filed it away for later and focussed on the task at hand; finding Arthur's mystery person.

"He was right here! Don't tell me you let him get past you," he asked angrily.

"Arthur, no one passed me!" I shouted right back.

"Are you blind?"

I was about to scream at him, but another voice interrupted us. "Are you looking for me?"

It was the old man I'd seen in the woods, after Arthur had slain the unicorn.

"I am Anhora, keeper of the unicorns," he said solemnly.

Arthur glanced at me before speaking to the stranger. "Camelot is under curfew, what is your business here?"

"I have come to deliver a message."

"And who is this message for?" Arthur sounded patronising again, and I wanted to elbow him in the stomach, or shout at him not to bait the incredibly powerful sorcerer. I wondered how he could not feel the waves of magic coming off this man. I had to steady myself against the wall.

"It is for you, Arthur Pendragon," the old man said.

I glanced at Arthur and immediately saw trouble: Arthur was getting angry, and when the Crown Prince got angry, he stopped thinking. "Is it you who is responsible for killing our crops, turning our water into sand?"

"You alone are responsible for the misfortune that has befallen Camelot."

"Me? You think I'd bring drought and famine upon my own people?" Arthur shouted.

The old man looked down, and I could tell he had done this before. "When you killed the unicorn you unleashed a curse. For this, Camelot will suffer greatly."

Arthur wouldn't listen. "If you have put a curse on Camelot you will lift it, or you will pay with your life," he said in a dangerously low voice.

"The curse was not my doing."

"Undo the curse, or face execution." I only barely managed not to roll my eyes – a man this powerful wouldn't let himself be put on the executioner's block. But I kept my mouth shut.

"Only you can do that. You will be tested."

Apparently, Arthur had had enough. "You are under arrest!" he said, but as he grabbed for the man's shoulder, he disappeared.

"Until you have proven yourself," Anhora's voice came from the top of the stairs, "and made amends for killing the unicorn, the curse will not be lifted. If you fail any of these tests, Camelot will be damned for all eternity." And then he was gone.

Arthur and I returned to our respective chambers to think about what Anhora had said. It promised to be a long night.

/*/

The next morning I told Gaius what had happened and we talked about the curse while I changed Ellie's nappy and fed her – which was becoming increasingly difficult, as there was precious little water left. Gaius advised me to convince Arthur as soon as possible. Just as I was about to leave, I remembered something.

"Gaius, remember that dream I told you about? The one about Ellie?"

"Yes, what about it?"

I bit my lip. "I think I met the couple. They were waiting in line for food yesterday. The man knew who I was, Gaius, he called me Emrys," I said worriedly.

Gaius turned to me, his face just as worried. "Nobody heard him say that, I hope?"

"No, he whispered. I doubt I could've heard him had I not been standing so close."

"How did he know?"

"Helen, his wife, told me he used to be a druid, and that his only gift is that he can feel if someone has magic, and to what degree. When he shook my hand, he just knew."

"Be careful, Merlynn, we don't know who they are yet."

"I know, but I felt like I could trust them, like I already knew them," I said distractedly, untangling Ellie's hands from my hair again. "No matter, it's not like I'll hand over Ellie right this instant, and I have to get to Arthur. I'll be back this afternoon with Ellie to feed her."

/*/

While I was sorting through Arthur's laundry – which I wouldn't be able to do anyway until we had enough water – the prince was getting dressed.

"That rat!" I looked over to see what had annoyed him now. "It's eaten through my boot! Look at it!"

I looked at it and thought about my own hole-filled boots. "I guess the rat must be as hungry as the rest of us," I said, unimpressed.

"You think this is funny."

I couldn't quite suppress a grin. "Moderately."

Arthur threw the boot at me, though I noticed he was still careful not to hit Ellie. "Get it mended. Find that rat!" he said and went about putting on his sword belt.

"Have you given any thought to what Anhora said last night?" I asked, putting away Arthur's clothes in his closet.

"He may have escaped last night, but at least we now know who we are looking for. I told my father I'd find this Anhora and put an end to it," the prince said as he searched for another pair of boots. I grabbed his damaged ones and put them near the door, so I wouldn't forget to take them with me later.

"What if he was telling the truth about the curse?"

"You think I'm responsible for bringing suffering upon my own people?" he asked.

"No… not deliberately." I paused at his closet, thinking back to that day in the forest. "When you killed the unicorn, I saw Anhora in the forest."

Arthur frowned. "Well, why didn't you say anything?"

"It was just for a second, and then he disappeared. I thought I was seeing things. But he was definitely there."

I could tell Arthur's resolve was faltering. "It doesn't actually prove anything."

I stood in front of the table Arthur was sitting at now, looking at him intently, hoping to convince him, while Ellie played with the butterfly necklace again. I'd hung it around her neck last time, and it suited her. "Doesn't that make you think he might be telling the truth?"

"Because he was skulking about in the forest? That makes me trust him even less," Arthur said as he put on his spare boots.

"Why would Anhora appear in Camelot and then lie to you?" I reasoned, pulling the butterfly away from Ellie's mouth. Unfortunately, this caused her to become interested in my hair again. I gave up on trying to keep her from putting things in her mouth.

"We had him cornered," the prince said, but he didn't really believe that himself, "he was trying to talk his way out of it by blaming me." Arthur kept his eyes on his boots.

"Arthur, he can disappear into thin air. He didn't have to talk his way out of anything!"

Arthur got up and glared at me. "My father has warned me about sorcerers like him. They will not rest until our kingdom is destroyed."

'_Ever wonder why that is, Arthur?'_ I wanted to say, but I held my tongue just in time. "Well, I believe he's telling the truth," I stated instead.

"Then you're a fool! You can't trust a single word a sorcerer says. You'd do well to remember that."

While Arthur turned around to get his coat, I gritted my teeth. "Forgot about Will already, have you? Or me, for that matter?" I said, slightly bitter. I just wanted him to realize that what he'd said hurt, even if I couldn't tell him the entire truth.

Arthur froze and turned around. "That's different."

"How? You said you can't trust a word any sorcerer says, so what does that make me? Or Will? You see everything in black and white, Arthur, but the world isn't built that way. Everything is a shade of grey."

Arthur opened his mouth a few times, clearly not knowing what to say. Thankfully for him, Ellie chose that moment to demand food and started crying. I sighed. "I have to go feed her. I'll be at Gaius' chambers," I said, and with that, I walked out of the door.

/*/

It took a little while, but eventually Arthur came to apologise and promised to mind what he said more in the future. I didn't really expect that to last long, though, especially given this famine and drought, Arthur was more irritable than usual.

He told me about his plan, though. He and I were going to stand watch just outside the corridor that led to the grain reserves to see if Anhora came back. I thought it was unlikely, but since I didn't want to start another fight, I went along with it. Gwen was sleeping in my bedroom that night, so she could keep an eye on Ellie, who was more difficult than ever to handle now that she didn't get as much food.

It wasn't long before Arthur stepped out to patrol some of the surrounding corridors while I had to stay put. I fell asleep soon after.

/*/

**Arthur POV**

I didn't understand why Anhora hadn't showed up yet; it was way past curfew, and there was no sign of him. I walked quietly along the passageways to where Merlynn was standing watch.

We'd argued again today, and not like out usual banter. She was just so sensitive when it came to that unicorn. I had to admit, the creature had been amazingly beautiful, but I was a hunter, and it was my prey; there was nothing wrong with that was there?

I'd been trying to create some distance between us ever since I'd gotten a comment from Leon.

flashback

_I was sparring with Leon during training that morning. It was a really warm day and Gwen and Morgana were walking along the field, distracting some of my younger knights. I managed to disarm Leon and smirked at him. "I believe that's 23 to zero, am I correct?"_

_Leon merely rolled his eyes – a habit I was sure he'd picked up from Merlynn – and got up off the ground._

"_Take five, everyone!" I shouted to the knights still sparring._

_Leon and I headed over to the weapons rack and put our maces and shields away. I was inspecting a dent in my shield when Bedevere joined us. "Look, it's Merlynn," he said, and waved to the servant._

_I looked up to see Merlynn walking over to Morgana and Gwen, wearing her blue dress. It was one of the few times she had worn a dress, since Ealdor. Her hair was down, for a change, and her lips were curled up in an easy smile. She waved cheerfully back at the young knight, changing directions and heading over to us instead of the Lady and her maid._

"_Hello. Training's over?" she asked Bedevere, without even acknowledging me._

"_No, the tyrant is only giving us a few minutes," Bedevere answered with a smile. Until a few moments ago, he'd been one of my favourite young knights._

"_Merlynn, don't you have anything better to do?" I asked, annoyed._

_She turned her smile on me. "Not really. After all, you're the one I have to clean up after, my prince," she quipped._

_I couldn't help but smile slightly. "Just you wait until training's over, I'll give you a mountain of chores to do."_

_She grinned. "I'll bet." Then she turned back to Bedevere. "How's your aunt doing?" she asked kindly. I tuned out the rest of their conversation and went back to inspecting my shield. I'd noticed the two of them getting closer ever since he'd come back from his visit to his aunt. Actually, Merlynn got along with most of the knights, and often it was them she talked to on hunting trips instead of me. For some reason, that annoyed me._

"_I'll see you after training, Arthur," she said, breaking me from my reverie. "Leon, Bedevere." She nodded to each knight before continuing on her way towards Morgana and Gwen._

_Bedevere took up his sword and shield and went to talk to one of the other knights, which left me and Leon standing alone. "You know, she's quite beautiful," Leon said offhandedly, polishing his sword._

_I frowned. "Who is?"_

"_Merlynn. She's quite popular with the knights, and why shouldn't she be? She's got a sharp tongue, a wicked sense of humour, and still a gentle personality. She's probably one of the only commoners who treats us like human beings instead of nobles, like all the others. I'd advise you to caution him, though; he's getting too close to her."_

"_Too close? What do you mean?" I asked._

"_Well, I think he may be harbouring some feelings for her. If she were a noble there'd be no problem, but then again, if she were a noble, she would probably be courted by the entire royal force," he said with a grin._

_I stood up straight and looked over to where the maid was talking to Morgana. Ellie wasn't with her, Merlynn had probably left her with Gaius for the day. "I had no idea she was so popular. I thought all the knights would be vying for Morgana's attention," I replied neutrally._

_Leon smiled and also looked over to the Lady. "Morgana is much more beautiful, of course, and her bloodline is unmistakably very good, but she isn't like Merlynn; she doesn't have that innocence about her, and she tends to let her temper get away with her. And she's the King's ward – no one would dare. But I suppose it doesn't really matter. If one of the knights were to court Merlynn, or even show an open friendship, your father would surely banish them both."_

End flashback

As I entered the room Merlynn was supposed to be guarding, I saw her sleeping against one of the pillars, smacking her lips. That brought on too many uncomfortable thoughts, so I crouched and shook her.

As soon as she opened her eyes, I felt myself get annoyed again. "Don't you worry about keeping watch, Merlynn, you just make yourself comfortable. And stop smacking your lips, it's annoying," I said, walking back to the entrance.

"I'm thirsty!" she complained, getting to her feet.

"We're all thirsty, Merlynn, try not to think about it," I advised more gently. She didn't look that good; she was pale, her lips were cracked, and she seemed far thinner than usual. "When was the last time you drank something?"

She wouldn't meet my gaze. "I can't remember." She walked over to the other entrance and stood watch, so I couldn't see her expression.

Then I realized. "You've been giving everything to Ellie, haven't you? Your food, your water…"

She turned to face me, her face resolved. "What else could I do? Leave her to starve? I thought I made it clear back at that village I would never let that happen, not under any circumstances."

"I'm not saying that you would, Merlynn, but you shouldn't starve yourself either."

She turned back around, her back facing me. "Why not? In a few days, a week at most, we won't be able to feed anyone anymore."

I didn't have an answer to that, so I kept my mouth shut and watched the corridor. That's when I saw torchlight.

"Psst! Someone's coming!" I whispered to Merlynn. She turned around immediately and made her way over to me, her steps so light I couldn't even hear them. How could she be so quiet one moment and trip over her own feet the next?

I drew my sword and Merlynn her dagger as we pursued whoever was out there. The person led us toward the grain reserves. Again, I motioned for Merlynn to cut him off on the other side, and this time she understood.

"Show yourself," I ordered, "before I run you through."

A nondescript man stepped out from behind the stacks of grain, carrying a shovel and a small bag of grain.

I frowned, having expected Anhora again. "Who are you?" I asked, lowering my sword.

He murmured something I couldn't understand, so I told him to speak up.

"My name is Evan, my lord," the man managed to say. Everything about this man screamed that he was terrified.

"I see you think you can help yourself to our grain reserves?" Merlynn came to stand next to me, her dagger still drawn, but held loosely in her hand. "My father has ordered that looters be executed."

The man took a step back as I stepped forward. "Please, my lord, I do not steal for myself. I have three children; they have not eaten for two days, they are hungry," the man begged.

"It is the same for everyone," I said in a softer tone. It killed me to see what this bloody famine was doing to my people.

"I– I know that it is wrong to steal," the man stuttered, avoiding my gaze. "I couldn't bear to see them starve."

"Can you bear for your children to see you executed?" I asked evenly.

The man was nearly crying as he considered that answer. Eventually, he shook his head and let silent tears roll over his cheeks.

"Then you should go home," I said, stepping aside. "If you are caught stealing again, I will not spare you."

The man, Evan, smiled and put his shovel and sack of grain down. "Yes, my lord, thank you!" he said and went to the door.

"Wait!" I called, and the man stilled. The thought of those children starving was etched into my mind. I picked up his discarded sack and handed it back to him. "Use it sparingly. It might be the last food you and your family get for some time."

From the corner of my eye, I could see Merlynn smiling softly at me before turning her attention back to the other man.

"You have shown yourself to be merciful and kind, my lord. This will bring its own reward," Evan said, and disappeared into the corridor behind him.

/*/

**Merlynn POV**

The next day, Gwen informed me that the sand had turned back into water. I'd never drunk as much at once as I did then. And something told me we owed it all to Arthur.

**A/N:**** Reviews are love!**

**Plus: I'd really love to hear ideas from you for meps or just changes to the cannon storyline, so PM me, or leave a review!  
**


	19. The labyrinth of Gedref part 2

**A/N:**** No, I haven't died, I promise. I'm so sorry it took me this long to update, and I'm even more sorry to say that it might take me a few months to update the next chapter.**

**I'm currently in Arkansas on an exchange program, and I'll be here for the rest of the school year. It's why I'll have trouble updating. Since English isn't my first language, and I'm taking AP English, I have to work a lot on school work. I'm loving it, though.  
**

**It's a long chapter, though; 4.900 words, so I hope y'all aren't too angry with me.  
And thank you to grapejuice101 (again;) ), mellbell12123, Wolf9lucky, belladu57 and Guest for reviewing, you guys are awesome!  
**

**R&R!  
**

**Chapter 19: The Labyrinth of Gedref – part 2**

**Merlynn POV**

"Never knew water could taste so good," Arthur sighed as he finished his third cup.

"My throat was so dry I thought I wouldn't be able to talk," I agreed, and put down my own cup.

"Well, at least some good would've come from the drought," the prince teased.

"Very funny, sire. More?" I asked, gesturing to the water.

As I poured Arthur another cup, he frowned, looking at the water thoughtfully. "The sand has disappeared, the water has returned…. It doesn't make any sense."

I pursed my lips and turned away from the table. It wasn't like the prince would actually believe my theory anyway.

"I suppose you have some explanation for this, Merlynn. Let's hear it."

I turned back around slowly and looked at him. "Anhora said you'd be tested, and last night in the grain storage, you let that villager go. He said it would bring its own reward," I told him.

"He was merely grateful," Arthur dismissed, "and so he should have been."

"Maybe that was the first test," I continued. I was absolutely convinced of it, as I'd felt magic in yesterday's events, but I could hardly tell Arthur that. "You passed it, so the curse has begun to lift. Perhaps this is your reward?"

Arthur frowned at his water, considering what I'd said. "I know you don't have to listen to me–" I started, but was interrupted.

"Glad we agree on something," Arthur said.

I gave him a look. "If you're tested again, you have a chance to end your people's suffering. I know you want that more than anything." And now for the daring part of my speech. "Perhaps we should seek Anhora out." I could tell this was something Arthur wanted as well, but he was still the prince, so it fell to me to convince him.

"We cannot negotiate with sorcerers, my father wouldn't hear of it."

I smirked. "Than it's probably best you don't tell him," I challenged him.

Arthur didn't take the bait, however, so when he got up he said, "Let's go check on the guard. And see if you can find me some food," and strode out.

"Find some food," I scoffed to myself, sitting on the edge of the table, "with a famine going on?"

A squeaking noise drew my attention to the bed. As the rat scurried out of Arthur's boot, I got an idea. A whispered spell later and the prince's chambers had a rat less and a pot of stew more.

/*/

I had just enough time to take Ellie off Gwen's hands and prepare that stew for Arthur. As I entered, one hand carrying the pot, the other lying protectively over Ellie's back, the prince was already in his chambers, sitting at his desk.

"I've lost my appetite," Arthur said, sitting back in his chair. I poured out a plate anyway.

"You have to eat something," I reasoned.

"I can't, not while my people are starving…" He stared at the table. "Do you really believe I'm responsible for the curse?"

"I'm afraid so," I replied. I couldn't lie to him; I've never lied to make anyone feel better, let alone Arthur. He of all people needed someone to be straightforward and honest with him, even if it meant being insolent or hurtful.

"We're going to the forest, first thing in the morning. Maybe we can pick up on Anhora's trail. Whatever it takes."

I smiled at him. _'I knew he'd do anything for his people.'_ "Come on, you have to eat. You won't be able to help anyone if you're too weak to pass the test."

I watched from the corner of my eye as the prince ate the stew. I wasn't sure he'd notice it was rat, and I didn't really want to miss the look on his face.

Arthur grimaced as he chewed. "What kind of meat is this? It has a very strange texture."

"It's pork," I lied.

"This is not pork, it's far too stringy. What is it? It's, uhm…" Then it dawned on him. "It's rat, isn't it?"

I opened my mouth, intending to tell him how all the animals had been starved as well, so of course the texture would be different– but I decided against it. "Yeah, try not to think about it," I advised, giving him a sympathetic look.

"Look at me," Arthur said suddenly in a mock-sweet voice, "I'm being rude! Here I am, stuffing my face with this delicious stew, when you're hungry too!" He stood up. "Come on," he said and patted the chair. "Take a seat."

I shot him a glare, but took Ellie out of the sling and deposited her into his arms so I could sit down properly – completely ignoring the look Arthur gave me as I did.

"Eat!" he ordered me, over Ellie's head. The little girl in question found that the prince's hair was just as fun to play with as mine, so she immediately tried to stuff it into her mouth. Arthur did his best to withstand her attempts, but not even the best swordsman in Camelot could win against Ellie.

I ate a spoonful and found that it could've been worse. The abundance of herbs I'd used compensated for the lack of flavour in the rat. Unfortunately, nothing could change the texture. Arthur watched as I emptied the entire plate without so much as a wince, even though I wanted to sometimes.

"If you think you're punishing me by making me do this, you're wrong," I said between bites. "I've had far worse."

At Arthur's frown I explained. "Life is harsh in a border town like Ealdor. Often there's not enough food to last the winter. I often gave mine to some of the smaller children so they wouldn't have to scavenge. Sometimes you just have to eat disgusting things to survive. There are some insects and root you can eat. They're healthy enough, but they don't taste very good."

Before Arthur could reply, someone knocked at the door. "Enter!" he called out.

It was Morgana. "I hate to ask, but I was wondering if you had anything to eat."

Arthur's eye fell on the pot of stew still remaining, and a grin formed on both our faces.

/*/

"I'm not entirely sure what I'm looking for," I shouted over to Arthur. We were in the forest, trying to find tracks to lead us to Anhora. Arthur was searching for tracks a little to my left.

"You're looking for… footprints, or broken branches and twigs, anything that would indicate someone passed through–" he stopped suddenly. "Merlynn!" he shouted, but I couldn't see him anymore. He'd run off somewhere, chasing after whatever he'd seen.

"Arthur! Arthur, where are you?" I shouted and ran to the place I'd last seen him. Perhaps I'd be able to find his tracks. This proved futile, though, so I just ran in the most logical direction. As I came to a juncture, I had to choose. I chose the right-hand path.

When I heard the telltale clanging of swords in the distance, I knew I'd taken the wrong turn, and doubled back as fast as I could. I really hoped Arthur would remember he'd be tested and not do anything rash.

The clanging stopped suddenly, and I ran full out, hoping it was in the right direction. "Arthur!" I shouted. "Arthur!" I came upon him lying in the dirt, staring at some point in front of him.

I kneeled next to him. "What happened?" I asked, resting one hand on the prince's shoulder. He didn't reply, but got up and started walking towards Camelot. He hadn't passed the test, then…

The moment we arrived back in the city, a guard rushed up to us, saying the King required Arthur's presence in the granary immediately.

Every last grain had rotted, leaving us with nothing to give to the people, or to eat ourselves. A glance at Arthur showed he now believed that he was responsible, and I could see that knowledge hurt him more than anything.

/*/

"I know Arthur's stubborn and annoying, but he cares about his people more than he cares about himself. He would not forgive himself for making his people suffer," I told Gaius that night as he sat at the table. I checked Ellie's nappy, but it was dry again. No wonder, since she hadn't eaten since that morning. The only thing I could give her was water and the few crumbs we had left. As always, I gave her my share as well, but it didn't help much.

"You must make sure he doesn't do anything rash," Gaius advised.

"The mood he's in, I don't know what he's going to do."

I rewrapped Allie in the sling and held her. She looked so lifeless and limp that I knew that she couldn't take more than another day of this. If she didn't get proper food soon, she'd die. The physical pain I felt when I only thought of that was huge. I didn't think I could survive her dying.

"Merlynn, when was the last time you ate?" Gaius asked, looking at my already too-thin frame.

"Today, actually. I ate some rat stew in Arthur's chambers," I replied honestly. I wasn't ashamed that I'd starved myself so Ellie could live, but Gaius didn't need to know that the stew was the only thing I'd eaten since this whole ordeal began.

Gaius gave me a pointed look.

"Don't start. You know as well as I do that if I hadn't been giving my share of every meal to Ellie, she'd have died along with some of the other young children in Camelot."

He didn't reply, but went over to the cupboard and got out two black… _beetles_? I frowned, what was he going to do with– _Oh_…

/*/

I found Arthur a while later on the walls surrounding the inner courtyard, watching the people getting their share of the food that was left. Ellie was in my chambers, sleeping in her cradle; she could barely sit up as it was, carrying her around wouldn't do her any good.

The prince seemed troubled, so I just waited for him to speak, offering silent support.

"They don't know yet there's worse to come…" he whispered so I had to strain to hear.

I had noticed Helen and Thomas standing in line again, this time without their neighbour's daughter. I still had the feeling I could trust them, and my magic hadn't led me astray so far. Perhaps I could give them a chance?

Then Arthur's words got through to me. I frowned and turned to him. "What do you mean?"

He sighed and turned his head slightly toward me, not looking at me directly. "My father is going to stop distributing food to the people. They're to be left to starve," he said bitterly. "And I couldn't lift the curse… I failed."

He was right, of course, but I couldn't help but comfort him. I put a hand on his arm and looked into his eyes to make sure I had his complete attention. "You didn't know you were being tested."

Arthur lowered his gaze to look at his people again. "My people are starving… Camelot is on the verge of collapse… and it is all my doing," he said as he walked away, leaving me standing there.

/*/

As soon as darkness fell, I ran to the forest as fast as I could and started shouting for Anhora.

"Anhora!" I shouted, letting my voice echo around the forest magically. "Show yourself! Anhora!"

Just as I was ready to give up and head home, I heard his voice behind me. "You wanted to talk with me?"

I whirled around and saw him standing there calmly, as if he'd been there for a while, completely at ease. Magic radiated off him.

"I've come to seek your help," I said, walking up to him. "The people are starving, they will soon be dead!"

"You must believe me when I say it gives me no pleasure to see your people suffer."

'_My people?'_ I thought briefly, but then dismissed it: I had more important things to think about. "If it pains you, put a stop to it!" I pleaded.

He shook his head. "You know as well as I do that it doesn't work that way, Emrys. I do not have the power to lift the curse."

I took a step closer. "Then give Arthur another chance. He has accepted it is his responsibility, and he will prove himself worthy and lift the curse, if you give him one more chance," I pleaded.

Anhora studied me for a moment. "You have faith in Arthur?"

I forced myself to really think about it, but the answer stayed the same. "I trust him with my life," I said with absolute certainty.

Anhora nodded, seemingly to himself, before addressing me. "Arthur must go to the Labyrinth of Gedref. There he will face a final test. If he fails, there is no hope. The curse will destroy Camelot," he said, and disappeared.

"Wait!" I shouted. "What kind of test?"

"That is for Arthur alone to discover," Anhora's disembodied voice said.

/*/

As soon as I told Arthur, he ordered me to fetch his armour, never even questioning me. He also told me immediately that I wasn't allowed to come. So, naturally, I refused to get his armour if he wouldn't let me come. He went and got it himself.

"Let me come with you," I asked again as I finished helping him into his armour. "You don't know what form the test will take, I might be able to help!"

"You're not coming! I brought this curse upon Camelot, and I'm going to be the one to lift it… or die trying."

"How does you dying help anyone?" I asked angrily. If he thought I was going to let him go on a suicide mission, he was sorely mistaken.

Arthur didn't really know what to say. "I'll…die knowing I did everything I can," he said, making his way toward the door.

"I'm coming with you," I repeated, following him.

Arthur stopped in his tracks and turned around suddenly. "Merlynn! You're to stay here and help the people the best you can, is that understood? You're the only one I can trust to do a decent job."

I didn't know what to say to that, so I just stood there, seeing the resolve in the prince's eyes. He left, but I wasn't about to just let him go. I could always follow him…

I told only Gwen and Gaius where I was headed and went by my room to kiss Ellie goodbye.

"I'll be back little one, I swear." She barely even stirred.

/*/

I followed the prince from a distance, walking the last part, so I missed him entering the maze. It was huge and I wasn't sure which way Arthur had gone. I picked left and started walking; second-guessing myself wouldn't help anyway.

Soon, I heard his armour clanking behind the hedge, so I sprinted ahead and took the first left. I couldn't see or hear anyone. When I got to a dead end, I saw Anhora standing there, his back turned to me.

"You said that Arthur would face a test," I said. Anhora turned, holding a sword. "And here you are, preparing a trap for him."

"The trap isn't for Arthur, it is for you." A whispered word and I was wrapped in vines before I could stop him.

"You treacherous little–"

"You were the one who came to me, Emrys, remember?" he said.

/*/

Anhora took me to a beach just outside of the labyrinth, undid my binds, and had me sit down at a table. On top of it stood two silver cups with clear liquid inside. "What's the meaning of this?" I demanded.

"You are part of Arthur's test. I will explain once the young prince gets here. Be patient, Emrys," Anhora said, his eyes trained on the exit to the labyrinth.

"You cannot call me that in front of Arthur, he doesn't know," I pleaded. "You know the legend that surrounds that name. If you tell him who I truly am, you might as well destroy Camelot now."

Anhora regarded me solemnly. "I had not planned on divulging your secret, Emrys. I have much respect for the power you possess."

I nodded once. "Thank you."

We didn't need to wait for Arthur long after that. When he walked onto the beach, his eyes immediately found me and widened at the sight.

"Merlynn," he said once he stood at the table. He sounded annoyed.

"I'm sorry."

He glanced at Anhora. "Let her go. I'll take your test, but not before she's released."

"That is not possible. Merlynn is part of the test. Please," he said and gestured to the other seat, "sit."

Arthur hesitated, glancing back at me. "If you refuse the test," Anhora warned, "you will have failed, and Camelot will be destroyed."

The prince sat down and put his sword on the table where he could quickly grab it. "I thought I told you to stay at home?"

"I felt like taking a ride," I replied, hoping for a smile. I didn't get one: Arthur only rolled his eyes.

"Let's get on with it," he said to Anhora.

"There are two goblets before you; one of the goblets contains a deadly poison, the other goblet a harmless liquid."

Arthur and I focussed on the goblets, avoiding each other's eyes and concentrating on Anhora's words.

"All the liquid in both cups must be drunk, but each of you may only drink from a single goblet."

Arthur frowned. "What kind of ridiculous test is that? What does that prove?" I had to roll my eyes at his condescending tone.

"What it proves is for you to decide. If you pass the test, the curse will be lifted."

Both of us stared at the cups. "Let's think about this," I whispered, more to myself than to the prince. "What if I drink from my goblet first?" I suggested.

Arthur glanced up at my face, still frowning. "If it's poisoned, you'll die."

"I've drunk poison for you before. besides, if it's not, you'll have to drink from yours, and you'll die. There has to be a way around this…"

"It's perfectly simple: one of us has to die." I looked up at him. His face was determined, like he'd already made some sort of decision. "We have to find some way to determine which goblet has the poison … then I'll drink it."

I looked at him sharply. "No. I will be the one to drink it."

"This is my doing, I'll drink it," he said firmly, but I wasn't having any of it.

"It's more important that you live; you're the future king! I'm just a servant."

"This is no time to be a hero, Merlynn. It really doesn't suit you."

I didn't reply. _'Let him think I don't save his life every other day. Let him think I never risk my life.'_

"I had no idea you were so keen to die for me," he said.

"Trust me, I can hardly believe it myself," I said, offering him a small smile.

He chuckled softly. For a while neither of us said anything until Arthur glanced up at me again. "I'm glad you're here, Merlynn," he admitted.

I smiled softly at him, but didn't reply. He didn't need one.

Just then, an idea popped into my head. "I've got it!" I said, drawing both Arthur and Anhora's attention. "We pour all the liquid into one goblet, and then we can be sure it's poison. Then all the liquid can be drunk, and it will be from a single goblet," I explained, feeling a little smug.

Arthur half smiled, half frowned at me. "You never cease to surprise me; you're a lot smarter than you look."

I sat back, an even more smug smile on my lips. "Is that actually a compliment?"

He looked up, but his eyes strayed to a point behind me. "Look!" he said, pointing. Naturally, I fell for it and looked.

"No!" I shouted when I turned back. Arthur had already poured the liquid from my cup into his. "_I_ will drink it!" I said, standing up.

"As if I'd let you," he said, also getting up and stepping out of my range. Short of running around the table, I wouldn't be able to reach for his cup.

"You can't die, it isn't your destiny!"

"It seems you're wrong again."

"Listen to me–!"

"You know me, Merlynn," he said, interrupting me, "I never listen to you." He raised his cup, as if to salute me.

"Arthur!" He drank it anyway. "No!"

He drank it bottoms-up and looked back at me, a small smile of victory on his lips.

"What have you done?" I whispered, looking at him fearfully.

His eyes drooped, and the cup fell from his hand. Arthur's knees buckled, and soon he was on the ground, not moving.

"Arthur!" I shouted, running and falling to my knees beside him. "Arthur, please wake up! Please," I begged, pulling his head into my lap. "Arthur, come on, don't mess with me! I need you!" He didn't responded.

Anhora walked up to me, and it was only as I looked at his face that I realized I was crying. "You did this! You killed him!" I screamed. Had I not been so desperate to maintain contact with the motionless prince, I probably would have lunged at the keeper of the unicorns.

"This was Arthur's test, not yours," he responded, gazing at me steadily.

"You murdered him, and I was meant to protect him!" I yelled.

"He is not dead, he has merely consumed a sleeping draught. He will come round shortly."

"W… what?"

"A unicorn is pure of heart. If you kill one, you must make amends by proving that you also are pure of heart. Arthur was willing to sacrifice his life to save yours; he has proven what is truly in his heart. The curse will be lifted."

Anhora disappeared after that and left me to wait anxiously to see if his promise would come true.

And sure enough, Arthur woke barely three minutes later. "What happened?" he asked, trying to get up.

"Turns out there was no poison in the goblet. It was just a sleeping draught. The curse will be lifted," I explained and helped him sit up. Arthur's eyes finally focussed on me, our faces inches apart. I quickly turned away and scooted back. "How's your head?"

"It's fine. I had the weirdest dream. You remember Sophia, right? I dreamed that she'd put me under a spell and you…" Arthur blushed and looked away.

"I?" I prompted him, my heart racing.

"Never mind, we should head back to Camelot. You said the curse would be lifted?" He avoided the question and tried to stand. I had to steady him.

I let it go; it wasn't worth it, and it would only embarrass the both of us. "Yes. Apparently, if you kill a unicorn, you have to make amends by proving you're pure of heart. You did that by drinking the cup." I had wanted to say 'saved my life', but I feared that would bring us too close to the subject he'd wanted to avoid.

/*/

We rode back to Camelot in silence, but the sight of the restored crops and happy farmers along the way were encouraging. The closer we got to the city, the more people cheered at their prince, knowing he had been the one to save them yet again.

"Merlynn! Arthur! Great news! The crops are growing once again, they're bringing in the harvest!" Gaius yelled when we rode into the central courtyard. He smiled at me knowingly and went back to his business. Arthur and I gave our horses to a stable boy and walked up to the palace. The King met us halfway.

"Is this your doing? Is the sorcerer dead?" he asked, an eager glint in his eye. I was scared of him in that moment.

"He won't be troubling us anymore," Arthur replied truthfully.

"Good," the king said, and placed a hand on Arthur's arm. "Make sure the grain reserves are restocked."

"I'll see to it," Arthur said as his father walked away.

"Merlynn!" someone shouted. I turned around and saw Gwen standing not too far away with a much happier-looking Ellie in her arms. Beside her stood Helen and Thomas, smiling. Helen was making funny faces at the baby, who giggled loudly.

"I'll be right back," I said to Arthur and walked over to them, making a decision.

I ran the last few feet and took Ellie in my arms immediately. Ellie giggled even louder and fisted her little hands in my hair. I held her close to myself, incredibly happy that she was okay again.

"Don't worry, we fed her little by little, until she had enough energy again. Helen was great with her. She and her husband looked after her while I was with Morgana, trying to care for the people," Gwen said.

"About that … I've been looking for someone to take care of Ellie for me. It's not fair that I leave her with my friends all the time, barely being around to take care of her." I saw Gwen open her mouth to protest, but held up my hand to silence her and turned back to Helen and Thomas. "The thing we have in common tells me I can trust you, and it's never let me down." I took a deep breath for this last part, the part that was about to break my heart. "Will you take her? Will promise to raise her as your own and never to let harm come to her for as long as you're able?"

Thomas looked at me knowingly; he knew this was a magically binding oath. If he were to fail it, I only had to speak their punishment out loud and it would happen.

"I swear," he said solemnly. Helen was smiling, tears brimming in her eyes. "I swear," she said as well.

A tingling feeling went through me, and I knew it was final. A tear spilled from my eye at the same time as Helen. I didn't know if it was part of the oath or just coincidence, but I didn't care. My heart hurt just the same.

"You can pick her and her things up in the morning," I said, handing Ellie back to Gwen, and left.

"Are you okay?" Arthur asked when I passed him. He followed as I continued on walking towards the castle, absently wiping away a tear.

"I'm fine," I replied when I could trust my voice again. Arthur was still following me when we entered the castle. He put his hand on my shoulder to stop me.

"Come on, there's something we must do. I think you'll like it."

/*/

We were in an open space in the forest just outside the city. I had never been there, but Arthur seemed to know well. It was a beautiful place for what we were about to do. I watched as Arthur placed the unicorn horn in the makeshift grave, quietly murmuring: "I should've never ended your life."

I had just picked up a stone to cover the grave when a movement at the edge of my vision caught my eye.

"Arthur," I whispered to draw his attention to the unicorn standing not ten feet away from us.

I walked towards it, as much enchanted by its appearance as I'd been the first time I'd seen it. I stopped close enough to touch it and held out my hand, leaving it up to the unicorn. It pushed its head against my hand.

From the corner of my eye I saw Arthur take a step forward, and immediately felt the unicorn step back. I turned and frowned at the prince. "Don't scare him."

Arthur frowned back at me. "I'm not doing anything!"

I smirked. "Well, maybe it just doesn't like you."

"I wonder if that story's true…" Arthur said, taking another step forward, but the unicorn pranced back nervously. It stayed within touching distance of me, though.

"What story?"

"Well, you know what they say about girls and unicorns," he replied with a grin.

I frowned. "I thought you didn't know anything about unicorns?"

He rolled his eyes. "I thought it was only a story." Then he smirked wickedly. "But it turns out to be true."

"What is it?!" I shouted. The unicorn startled and took a step back. I stepped closer to it and whispered nonsense to it to calm it down. I turned my back on Arthur and rested my forehead against the unicorn's. It calmed me down immediately, and the animal didn't seem to mind.

Arthur chuckled at my exasperation. "Only a virgin maiden can touch a unicorn, of course."

I felt myself blushing and kept my back to the prince. "That's just a story!"

"Sure, Merlynn, whatever you say," Arthur said, smirking even wider now.

My blush deepened, so I lowered my head, hoping my hair would hide my face. "Shut up, Arthur."

Well, at least he _had _cheered me up…

**A/N:**** Tell me what you think, especially about the tweaks I added.**

**And one more IMPORTANT QUESTION: do you want me to do 'to kill the king', or to gloss over it, like I did with 'the beginning of the end' and 'a remedy to cure all ills'? I'd prefer to jump to 'Le morte d'Arthur' and get this first story finished, but I'm a slave to your reviews, so "Your wish is my command" ^^  
**

**Also, if any of you have ideas about what you'd like to have happen in an episode, don't hesitate to review or PM me!  
**

**AL  
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	20. To Kill the King part 1

**A/N:**** I think this is the first time since chapter 3 that I haven't had to apologise for being so late... Anyway, this is a shorter chapter, and I have already finished the next part and sent it to my beta, the wonderful Eilonwyn, so expect an update sometime next week!  
****Don't you all love me right now?  
**

**So yes, I decided to do to kill the king, but I'm keeping it short. Thankfully most of this episode is from Morgana's POV, so I can skip a lot of it ^^  
**

**Oh my GOD! 100 reviews! I never thought I'd get here, so thanks to all of you, I love you guys!  
**

**You'll all be glad to hear that once Le Morte d'Arthur is over, I'll start jumbling things up more, and it will get less and less canon. I warn you, though, I'll mess up some of the chronology.  
**

**Dedication: this chapter is dedicated to my wonderful American friend, Mary, and her huge amount of geekyness that matches my own ^^  
**

**Chapter 20: To Kill the King – part 1**

It was a fortnight before things started going bad again. Really, it was bound to happen.

Gwen's father, in an effort to provide for his family better, had made a deal with a sorcerer, not knowing what this man's true request was. The sorcerer had found a stone that could turn lead into gold, and had planned to test it in Tom's forge.

Unfortunately, someone had tipped Arthur off, and the prince had arrested Tom. The sorcerer got away.

I had felt the magic happen and started awake. I got up and went down to Gaius' study.

"Couldn't sleep?" he asked kindly, looking up from whatever he was still working on.

I shook my head and shivered, remembering why I was down there. "Something woke me up… A feeling…"

"What kind of feeling?" Gaius asked, frowning.

"Powerful magic, happening here in Camelot." I barely got to finish my sentence before the door opened and Gwen burst in.

"Gwen! What's wrong?" I asked, concerned. She looked distressed, and her eyes were red and puffy, as if she'd been crying.

"My father's been arrested!" she said, running straight into my arms.

"Arrested? What for?" I asked. Tom was the kindest soul I'd ever met; why would Arthur arrest him?

"They say he's been making weapons for a sorcerer. They're charging him with treason!"

I got dressed and immediately followed her to the dungeons. While Gwen spoke to her father, Gaius and I were forced to wait with the guards. Only family members were allowed to see prisoners who were sentenced to death. Afterwards, she told us what had really happened.

"He said Tauren came to him in the forge and offered to pay him a fortune for his help. Not to make weapons, but for an experiment or something."

"What kind of experiment?" I asked.

"Tauren didn't say, but he used some kind of stone, some kind of magic," she said, sending a significant look my way.

Gaius and I took Gwen back to our chambers and put her to sleep in my room. The poor girl was exhausted, but still needed a sleeping draught.

"I don't understand; what would a sorcerer want with Tom?" I whispered to Gaius once Gwen was asleep.

"His forge, Merlin: it's the finest in the kingdom."

"You think Tom was lying? You think he was making weapons?" I asked sceptically. I had never heard that man so much as swear, he would never lie.

"No, I don't," Gaius replied. "But when Tom was arrested, they found gold on him."

"So?" I asked, not seeing the point.

"What Gwen was saying: Tauren's experiment bears all the hallmarks of alchemy."

"But alchemy is impossible, isn't it?"

"To change the very nature of one thing to another has defeated all who ever tried, but if you use magic…"

"You think that's what woke me?"

"It is possible, I suppose," he said, glancing to the sleeping maid in my bed.

/*/

The next morning, I felt the magic again as I sat by Gwen's bed, watching over her. I couldn't pinpoint its location, so searching for it was pointless.

A few minutes later, Morgana entered my room. "How is she?" she asked in a whisper, looking at the sleeping girl.

"She's doing okay, considering the circumstances."

"We should let her rest," the lady said, turning and walking out of the room.

In the main room, I asked her if she'd talked to the King, but apparently, there was no hope. Uther would not see reason.

/*/

I went looking for Arthur; perhaps he could convince his father. But when I found him, he was overseeing the arrest of two farmers who had let Tauren use their stables two nights ago.

"They are to be executed?" I asked, looking at the boy and his father. He could not have been more than sixteen.

"Yes, Merlynn," he replied flatly.

"By order of the King?"

"They committed a very serious crime," Arthur said, keeping his eyes on the prisoners.

"Giving a man a bed for the night," I said angrily.

"Not a man, a sorcerer." It hurt, seeing him so angry at everyone with magic.

"Maybe they didn't know that!" I hissed.

The prince turned to me, clearly irritated with my comments. "It is not for you to question my father's actions, is that understood?"

I was taken aback by his anger and nodded. "Yes, sire."

"Now go back to whatever it is you're meant to be doing."

I bowed my head and returned to Gaius' chambers. Sometimes it was better not to speak.

/*/

That night, Tom tried to escape and was killed for his trouble. Gwen was inconsolable. She had thought that there might still be a chance to save her father at the trial, but now it was all over. She was alone.

She sat in my room and cried until there were no tears left.

"Are you alright?" I know, stupid question to ask in this situation, but I had to. I needed her to talk to me.

She started nodding, but decided she didn't need to lie to me. "I just don't understand. Why did he try to escape? His trial was this morning."

I opened my mouth to reply when someone knocked on my door. Arthur came in.

Gwen jumped up. "Sire."

"Guinevere, I … want you to know that your job is safe, and that your home is yours for life, I guarantee you that. I know that, under the circumstances, it's not much, but… Anything you want, anything you need … all you have to do is ask." He started to leave, but paused at the door. "I'm sorry."

"Thank you, sire," Gwen replied, frowning.

As Arthur left the room, I followed him. "Arthur, wait!"

He stopped and turned around. "I know it wasn't your decision, and I'm sorry for what I said yesterday. I know that if you could, you would have changed it. Thank you." I took his hand in mine and squeezed it for a second. I turned around and went back into my room.

/*/

The next morning, when I came into Gaius' study – rested a bit better this time, since Gwen had gone home the previous night – my uncle asked me to come look at something.

"I've been doing some research, and I found this."

"The mage stone," I read.

"Wonder of the ancients, lost for a thousand years or more."

"What does it do?" I asked curiously, looking at the drawing in the book.

"Theoretically, it could give the bearer the power of transformation," he said, and waited for me to piece the puzzle together.

"Gold… The power of alchemy?" I asked, searching the text myself.

"Exactly! I believe it was the mage stone you sensed on the night of Tom's arrest."

"Of course!" I whispered to myself, and stood up. "Gwen said that Tauren had some kind of stone…"

/*/

Once again, I woke to the feeling of magic, but this time it had a distinct sense of direction. I got out of bed and threw on some clothes. I ran, letting the magic guide me. It led me to the drawbridge, where I found Morgana sneaking out, or trying to, at least. With a cloak that expensive and feminine, there was only one person it could be.

I followed her all the way to the Darkling woods, where she made a pact with Tauren, and gave him the stone. She wanted to help him kill the king.

/*/

**A/N:**** So tell me what you think!**

**On a side note: all Harry Potter/Merlin fans should read 'Oops' by Callista252. She's a wonderful author, and has written one chapter of her fanfic, but, while she assures me that she's written most of chap 2, she never updates (she's too big of a perfectionist!). So read it and bombard her with reviews and PMs please, so she'll get over herself and update already. Oh, and she's my wonderful older sister ^^  
**

**So review, tell me what you think, and if you have suggestions or requests, or just questions, PM or review!  
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	21. To Kill the King part 2

**A/N:**** I'm sorry I didn't update earlier, we had some trouble with the internet, but it's all fixed now.  
It's going to be a while before I can update after this, because NaNoWriMo is coming! And I'll be trying to work on that (and hopefully, finally, hitting the 50,000 word mark). I have started on the next episode, but I haven't gotten very far, school and social life have been keeping me busy.**

**Anyway, for the other Wrimo's on I write under the same penname, so you can look me up if you want to.  
**

**This chapter is dedicated to Hester, a Dutch exchange student, and one of my best friends over here ^^  
**

**Read & Review!  
**

**Chapter 21: To Kill the King – part 2**

On my way back to the castle, I barely paid any attention to my surroundings, counting on my instincts to lead me back to the city.

My mind was reeling with what I'd seen.

I didn't know what to do. On the one hand Arthur was meant to be King, and he could only accomplish that if Uther was dead – and quite frankly, I didn't like hiding who I really was. But on the other hand, it was murder. No matter how much harm Uther had caused, how many people he had killed… Did I really have the right to play God? To decide whether he lived or died?

So one could imagine how distracted I was at breakfast the next morning. When Gaius asked to pass the salt, I handed him an apple, and when I wanted to walk out the door, I almost went into the broom cupboard.

I decided to ask the dragon for advice, but I should've known what he'd say. Asking a prisoner if you should let his captor die is just a stupid question.

I went to Gaius next. My uncle had yet to give me faulty advice; he would know what to do.

"Do you think Uther is a good king?" I asked, needing to know what he thought. If anyone would have an unbiased view on it, he would. After all, he himself had almost been killed himself during the purge, Uther only sparing him after he swore never to use magic again.

"Sorry?" he asked distractedly, pausing his work.

"Uther. Do you think he's good for the kingdom?"

"Yes. Yes, I do. In light of recent events you may find that hard to believe…"

I looked up at him, eyebrows raised. "Hard? No. Impossible? Definitely."

Gaius looked at me for a second before setting down his equipment. "Merlynn–" he started, but I interrupted him.

"Everybody hates him!"

Gaius got up and walked towards me. "It is not Uther's job to be liked. It is Uther's job to protect the kingdom. Most of his methods are right; sometimes he may go too far…"

"Really? You mean like executing anyone who even passes a sorcerer on the street?" I said, getting up. The dilemma was still raging in my mind, and I needed to vent.

"Well… Yes, but despite Uther's failings, he has brought peace and prosperity to this kingdom."

"But at what cost? At the cost of women and children, fathers and sons? When will it end?"

Gaius sat down in front of me. "It will end when Arthur is king."

"Then why not let that time be now?" I whispered, leaning forward. "Why not let Arthur be king?"

"Arthur is not ready. The responsibility would be too great. Brave thought he may be, he lacks experience, he lacks judgement."

I shook my head. I knew this, but I couldn't just give in.

Gaius put his hand on my shoulder. "Is there anything you want to tell me?"

"I can't! I just… No! I can't! You've just got to trust me. Gaius, it's something I've got to work out for myself."

He nodded and stepped back. "I do trust you, Merlynn. Whatever it is, I know that you'll make the right decision."

/*/

I had trouble sleeping that night, mulling over the dilemma over and over again before deciding it was still early enough to take a stroll to, hopefully, clear my mind.

In the twilight, and with my mind otherwise occupied, my feet carried me to the one place I wanted to be more than anywhere else. Helen and Thomas' home was in the central circle of the lower town, but the couple wasn't why I wanted to go there. Ellie had been in their care for two weeks now, and I had been to see her nearly every day.

Thomas and Helen were the nicest people imaginable, but I couldn't help but feel jealous every time I had to leave and they could keep her with them. Nevertheless, Helen had told me I was welcome any time, and I could tell she really meant it.

I knocked on the door and heard Ellie crying. Helen opened the door with a smile, probably already anticipating who it was.

"Hello, Merlynn. She's been fussing all day, don't worry. Come in."

Their house was small, but cosy, and it was orderly. Thomas was holding Ellie, walking around with her, trying to calm her cries. I walked over and took her from his arms, holding her close. "Shh, it's alright, sweetheart, I'm here."

I lightly bounced her up and down, something Ellie usually enjoyed immensely. The baby's cries subsided, and her eyes started to droop. "She's exerted herself by crying…" I said, mostly to myself.

I wanted to stand there all night, just me and my Ellie, but unfortunately, she wasn't mine any more. Once she had fallen asleep fully, I handed her over to Helen to put in her crib.

"Are you okay, Merlynn? You look troubled," Thomas asked while his wife was in the other room.

I forced a smile. "I'm fine, just a lot on my mind, is all."

Helen insisted I stayed for dinner – which they hadn't eaten because Ellie had been unable to sleep – and I agreed. We had a nice meal, though I wished I had seen more of Ellie. It did the thing I most wanted it to do, however: it kept my mind off of my dilemma.

/*/

The next morning, I watched Morgana ride out with Uther from Arthur's chambers and knew she was about to strike. It was in a pensive state that Gwen found me, still looking at their retreating figures.

"Merlynn?"

I looked over my shoulder at her. "Gwen. How are you doing?" I asked in a soft voice.

She smiled weakly at me. "I was about to ask you the same question." She was studying my face, and I knew she saw the dark circles under my eyes and the unrest in them; the same sight that had met me when I had looked in the mirror that morning. After leaving Helen and Thomas' house, my mind had gone right back to what had occupied it before, which had in turn led to a sleepless night.

"I'm fine," I lied. I looked back out the window just in time to see Uther, Morgana and the guards go around the corner.

Gwen followed my line of sight. "Morgana has been amazing these last few days…"

"I think you've been amazing," I whispered. "After … all that's happened … getting your life back together…"

She looked away. "It's better than sitting in an empty home, waiting for my father to walk in the door." Gwen took a few steps away from me, while I turned to face her completely. "The thing I find hardest to bear is that people will always think he was guilty because he tried to escape."

I stepped closer and enveloped her in a brief hug, offering my support. "I know he was innocent."

"I think he tried to escape because he _knew_ that whatever he said or did, he'd be killed… Uther had already made up his mind. It's the kind of man he is."

And then I thought about it. Who better to ask than Gwen? She had suffered by his hand; maybe she was the right person to ask. "I wouldn't blame you if you wanted him dead."

Gwen turned around suddenly. "If Uther died, I'd feel _nothing_. He means nothing to me."

I knew Gwen's disposition, but I had to ask more, I had to know for sure. "But if you had, you know, the choice? What would you do?"

Gwen frowned a little at the intensity of my question, probably a little suspicious, but I had to push on. "If you had the power of life or death over Uther, would you kill him? For what he did?"

Gwen looked at me like she didn't know me. "No."

"No?" I asked, still surprised, despite knowing Gwen couldn't hurt a fly, even if that fly had killed her father.

"What would that solve? That would make me a murderer, that would make me as bad as him."

I hugged her again. "You're right. Of course you're right!" I released her and dashed for the door, finally knowing what to do.

"Is anything wrong?" she shouted after me.

"No! I'll see you later!"

/*/

After getting the Sidhe staff from underneath the loose floorboard under my bed, and hastily saddling my horse, I rode out as fast as the poor animal could go to catch up to Morgana and the King.

I left the horse about a mile out from where I knew Gorlois' grave to be and told it in the Old Tongue to stay put. I had found that the more intelligent animals often obeyed such commands, unless they were overruled by fear or instinct.

I found the four guards by their horses, already dead. Their killers were walking away from the scene, towards the hill where the grave was. I followed after them and swiftly dealt with Tauren's men by using the staff. I loved using it – it was far easier than trying to focus my magic.

I found Tauren merely a few feet from the top of the hill, where I knew Morgana and Uther to be. I said the same spell, but he used the Mage Stone to reflect the blow back at me. The only thing protecting me from certain death was my own magic and the fact that the blow was reflected and not at full force. Nonetheless, I was knocked unconscious, but woke just in time to see Morgana kill Tauren herself.

I waited for them to leave Tauren's body alone long enough for me to take the Mage Stone from his pocket.

I raced back to Camelot and beat the King and his ward there. After I had hidden the Sidhe staff and the Mage Stone in my room, Gaius stopped me and tried not-so-subtly to find out exactly what my role had been in this whole debacle, and then he complimented me.

Yup, my day was made…

/*/

**A/N:**** Tell me what you think! And again: suggestions and ideas are very welcome!**


	22. Le Morte D'Arthur part 1

**A/N: No, I haven't left the land of the living, though I'm sure many of you thought so. I'm so sorry I haven't updated, and I really have no excuse except that I'm lazy, and just a plain horrible human being. That said, I really shouldn't keep you waiting any longer!**

**dedication: To my wonderful friend Ashten, who is incredibly intelligent, and a fellow fanfic lover, and bandstudent. I love you!**

**Chapter 22: Le Morte D'Arthur – part 1**

About a week later, while I was playing with Ellie again at Helen and Thomas' house. I idly thought about how much she'd grown since I had first seen her.

Her hair was almost to her shoulders now, a beautiful brown. She ate solid food, and was able to pick up small things between her thumb and forefinger – something she enjoyed doing immensely. Unfortunately, she still tried to put everything in her mouth.

My biggest surprise had been only a few days before, when she had pulled herself up by the leg of a chair and used it to scoot closer on her chubby little legs. She could stand up on her own now too, thankfully for her parents though, she wasn't walking yet.

I had to admit I was a little scared when she had gotten up; it meant that she was growing up, and soon enough, she wouldn't need me anymore. Not that she really needed me now, since she had Helen and Thomas, but still…

It was while I was tickling the little girl that Gwen popped her head in the door after knocking. "Hello Helen, Thomas. Merlynn, I'm sorry, but Arthur is looking for you. He seemed a little impatient," she said apologetically.

I sighed and handed Ellie back over to her guardians. "Just like Arthur to need me on my day off…"

Gwen came into the house fully and smiled. "It appears he can't live without you," she teased as she embraced Helen. The two women had become fast friends over the past few weeks, and she often joined me on my visits, as well as babysat for them whenever I wasn't available.

"I know, and I'll be sure to mention it to him." I grabbed my jacket – Gaius had gotten it for me about a week ago, and I loved it. I was still wearing breeches and shirts, to the annoyance of Arthur at times. He didn't think it was proper. I told him to shove it.

As I made my way back toward the castle I thought about Ellie. I wasn't her mama anymore, even though I still had days when all I wanted to do was grab her and keep her to myself forever. But I knew she was better off where she was. Thomas was a very good carpenter and made good money while Helen stayed home with Ellie, since her candle-making business didn't require her to be away from home very often, except for market days.

Sighing, I walked through the castle gates and saw Arthur standing near the stables, talking to Bedevere and Leon. "You sent for me, sire?" I asked when I reached them.

"Hello, Merlynn," Bedevere said, smiling at me.

"Hello Bedevere, Leon," I replied with a smile. The other knight nodded at me. I liked them, unlike most of the other knights, they never treated me like dirt, and often laughed at my jokes.

"If you're quite ready wasting my knights' time, Merlynn, you can prepare my horse for a hunt," Arthur interjected, clearly annoyed.

"A hunt?" I asked, turning my attention to the prince.

"Yes, Merlynn, it's that thing we do to gather game for feasts, so we can eat," he replied, rolling his eyes again.

"It's my day off, _sire_, remember?" I asked, raising my eyebrows.

"Well, that was before I decided we needed a hunt. Now get the gear ready," he replied, staring me down.

"_Fine_, sire, when do you plan to leave?" I enquired through gritted teeth. Only Arthur could ever get on my nerves this much. Though it did make me feel better when I saw Bedevere hide a grin behind his hand, while Arthur remained clueless about my slightly disrespectful tone.

"An hour, and make sure you take enough supplies this time," he said and turned away from us to get ready.

I made a face behind the prince's back, and Bedevere stifled a snigger, while Leon simply looked amused. "Of course, sire."

/*/

Instead of just Arthur and I going on the hunting trip, Arthur had decided to take a number of knights with us. Apparently, there had been some disturbances and Arthur wanted to be absolutely sure there was nothing dangerous in the woods.

We crept through the forest, trying to make as little noise as possible. The knights were succeeding, me not so much. That was partly because I was trying to scare the game away, and partly because of my inherent clumsiness. I also _really_ didn't want to be there. _'Well, at least I'm not wearing any of my dresses anymore…'_ I thought miserably.

"Merlynn, spear," Arthur ordered, holding out his hand, but with the crossbow slung across my shoulder, a sword strapped to my waist and various bags hung on my person, my clumsiness was increased a thousand fold. I dropped the spear right next to the prince's outstretched hand, and made a loud noise as I almost tripped over my own feet.

Arthur rolled his eyes and snatched it off the ground, clearly annoyed. "Do you have any natural gifts, Merlynn?" he asked sardonically, keeping his eyes ahead. He might've sounded angry, but I knew he liked our banter.

"Let me think… _I'm_ not naturally rude or insensitive," I quipped right back, a small smirk on my face. I'd never admit it to him, but I enjoyed it just as much.

"Just naturally irritating," he muttered under his breath, the corner of his lips twitching. I just rolled my eyes.

We moved stealthily forward, speeding up until we heard a sound that was not in the least natural, or at least not to my ears. We all stopped, exchanging anxious glances.

"It's probably more scared of you than you are of it," Arthur whispered when he saw my worried expression, putting a comforting hand on my arm. I offered him a tiny smile, but didn't mention my fears. It was Camelot we were in; something dangerous was bound to happen after a week of relative peace and quiet.

It didn't take long for the monster to jump out and try to eat us. Fortunately, it took Arthur less than a second to realize we weren't equipped to fight a beast three times our height, so we ran.

Naturally, I had to trip over a root and fall down. This gave me a great view of the giant cobra head, and leopard body right before it was going to devour me.

"Merlynn!" Arthur shouted, and doubled back for me, quickly helping me to my feet. I had never been so happy to see the prince in my life. Unfortunately, the other knight that had helped me up wasn't so lucky, and we soon heard his screams echo through the forest. It made the beast stop pursuing us, though, so we could stop to catch our breath.

"Who are we missing," Arthur asked to the group in general.

"Sir Arnold, sire," I replied in a quiet voice. He'd risked going back to help me, and had paid for it with his life. I locked eyes with Arthur, and I knew he could read me like a book, he knew why Sir Arnold was dead, and yet, there was only sympathy in his eyes, no accusation. For some reason, that only made me feel worse.

/*/

During the meeting that followed our return, I described the creature, and Gaius identified it as the Questing Beast. Naturally Uther ignored Gaius' warning about imminent danger and ordered his son to gather the knights and ride out at dawn. Of course, I went with them.

Later that night, Gaius repeated his warning to me, and added that one bite would be lethal, and there was no cure. I took it to heart, and mentally prepared to use magic to save Arthur's life again. I sharpened my sword and prepared everything I'd need the next morning.

It was a restless night.

The next morning, after Arthur had delivered his speech to his men, Morgana came storming out of the castle, practically begging him not to go, telling him this was a creature he could not face. She was hysterical, and I felt horrible for pretending not to listen and pushing her into the guards' arms, so she could be taken to Gaius. I hoped she'd be alright with another sleeping draught.

Arthur was visibly shaken by the whole thing, but went on with the hunt after all. Silently, I wished I held more sway over Arthur, so I might've convinced him to do something else.

We found the Questing Beast's lair deep in the forest, in one of the many caverns it held. Arthur split up the knights when we came to a junction: three of them went one way, two went through the second tunnel and he and I went into the third.

It soon became clear that we had chosen the right path, as a loud hissing sound reached our ears. As soon as it's head came in view, Arthur pushed me aside and slashed at the beast. I fell into a side passage I hadn't noticed before, and, realizing it lead to a ledge right above the beast, I followed it. The Questing Beast reared up on its hind legs and managed to smack Arthur with one of its claws, knocking him unconscious. By the time I reached the ledge, the beast was hovering over Arthur, and I couldn't see what it was doing.

"No!" I shouted and tried to distract it with my torch. When it turned to me, I used the same spell I had used on the Griffin and speared Arthur's sword into its chest, only this time, I didn't need words anymore. I barely registered this, though, and jumped off the ledge and ran to Arthur's side.

"Arthur," I said as I shook him, trying to get him to wake up. "It didn't bite you, it didn't bite you," I kept saying, almost like a mantra. Until I found the puncture wound on his shoulder, obviously made by the teeth of the Questing Beast. "No!" I sobbed. "Somebody help me!" I shouted into the tunnels, unknowingly reinforcing my voice with magic in my need.

Arthur was bitten, and Gaius said there was no cure…

/*/

Bedevere and his partner soon found me and helped me get the prince back to Camelot. The other knights would find their own way back home.

They placed him on Gaius's table as soon as we got to Camelot. My uncle ordered them to tell the King his son had been bitten, while I ran to my room to get my magic book, ignoring the tears that ran down my face.

"I'll find a cure," I said, more to myself than to my uncle, as I placed the book on another table.

"The King will be here any moment!" Gaius protested.

"He can't die, he's my destiny to protect him. We haven't done all the things we're meant to do," I pleaded.

"That is a lament of all men," he replied steadily, returning his gaze to the dying prince.

"Gaius!" I shouted, and I was about to admit that I loved him, and that I couldn't let him die, but my courage faltered at the last moment. "He's my friend."

"Then save him," he said, and stepped back.

I used my magic to find the most powerful healing spells in my book, and tried both of them, but neither elicited a change in the dormant prince.

"Maybe the spells need time to take effect," I suggested hopefully.

Gaius shook his head. "The bite of the Questing Beast is a death sentence, and no magic can overturn it."

"Where's my son?!" The King's frantic voice sounded from right outside our doors. He barged in and immediately went to his son's side. I discretely wiped the tears from my face, hoping Uther wouldn't notice. But I needn't have worried, the King only had eyes for his son. "Arthur," he whispered almost lovingly, as he supported the prince's head.

Before the King could look up, I glanced at my magic book and flipped it closed with a glimmer of gold in my eyes.

"Do something Gaius!" the King ordered.

"I have tried, your majesty."

"Sire, we'll find a cure, we will not let him die," I said with certainty. The King regarded me for barely a second before turning his eyes back to the prince.

"I will do everything in my power," Gaius confirmed, but sent a warning glare my way.

The King paid us no mind, however, and picked up the prince, mentioning that Arthur needed to be in his own chambers.

Gaius and I didn't say anything, but followed after grabbing his medicine bag. Uther managed to carry his son all the way down to, and almost across, the central courtyard, before sinking to his knees and giving in to his tears. Four knights, among which Leon, quickly came to their King's aid, and took the prince from his arms.

While Gaius was forced to follow the knights, I stopped by Uther's side and gently put a hand on his shoulder, before chasing my uncle. I figured he needed the comfort.

/*/

Instead of following the men to Arthur's chambers, I veered off towards the dungeons and sought out the dragon's advice. Gaius might've said there was no cure, but I was desperate, and the dragon had a few more centuries on my uncle, so maybe he could think of something?

As ever, he was speaking in riddles, but what I gathered from the rubbish he spouted off that there was a way to save him.

"Perhaps, but it will not be easy," the dragon said.

"I'll do anything," I implored.

"Very well. The Questing Beast is a creature conjured by the power of the Old Religion. You must use the same ancient magic to save him."

"The Old Religion died out centuries ago," I said, not understanding how this would help me.

"The Old Religion is the magic of the earth itself, it is the essence which binds all things together, it will last long beyond the time of men," the dragon explained, flexing his wings in agitation.

"But how could that help me save Arthur?" I asked, stepping forward. I had hope now, I knew that I'd do whatever it took to save my prince.

"You must find those who still serve it, those who hold dominion over life and death."

"Where?" I asked with determination. I would set out as soon as possible.

The dragon looked at me kindly, and with something akin to regret in his eyes. "Go to the place that men call the Isle of the Blessed, where the power of the ancients can still be felt. There you will discover Arthur's salvation."

I had already turned around and was almost back up the stairs. "Thank you!" I shouted over my shoulders, but the dragon's voice called me back.

"And Merlynn? The Young Pendragon _must_ live… No matter what the cost." Again, I saw that expression of regret, and pain in those ancient eyes, and couldn't help but feel that he knew something and wasn't telling me, so I just nodded, puzzled by his warning. Of course I'd save Arthur's life at any cost, even if it was my own life.

/*/

Once back in Gaius' chambers, I started packing immediately, stuffing some food in a bag. Gaius asked me to help him prepare a tonic to ease Arthur's passing, and I paused in my action.

"No," I said firmly, staring into my uncle's eyes. "We have to save him."

"We've already tried," Gaius said, his eyes steady on mine.

"The Beast comes from the Old Religion, the cure must come from there as well," I reasoned, hoping my uncle wouldn't figure out that I'd been talking to the dragon.

"There are not many left who can perform such an art."

"You said yourself the Old Religion is still alive and there is an island beyond the white mountains-" I countered, but was interrupted by my uncle's exclamation.

"No!" Almost unconsciously, he stepped forward.

I frowned at him, a suspicion forming in the back of my mind. "The Isle of the blessed… Do you know it?"

Gaius told me about the Isle, and that it wasn't that easy to get the Old Religion to change its mind. I would have to trade something for Arthur's life, something worth the same. It was a price I was willing to pay. Gaius begged me not to, but I told him I'd do anything to save Arthur's life.

I think Gaius may have suspected about my feelings for Arthur, but in that moment, I couldn't care less.

I rode off that very afternoon, as fast as I could, there was no time to lose. I arrived at the Isle later that day, a small boat carrying me across the water. Something within me stirred as I set foot on the island. I paused, but shrugged it off, I had something to do, after all.

At the centre of the island, an altar stood, surrounded by 12 monoliths, standing as silent guardians. I could sense someone was there, but I couldn't see anyone. It was like that feeling you get when you know someone is staring at you. I turned around and called out.

"Hello, Merlynn," uttered a soft, feminine voice. It was Nimueh.

I didn't trust her, but the Old Religion was all but extinct, and she was my only choice. She claimed that she'd only tried to kill me before she understood my importance, and that Arthur was never destined to de by her hands. It made me wonder if she knew who _was_ destined to kill Arthur, but I shook it off. I was here to exchange my life for Arthur's, and that was what I'd do.

She showed me the cup of life, and gave me a flask with water captured with it. When she made it rain, I felt the crackle of power in the air, and felt my own magic surge to just below the surface. I wondered if I could do that if I wanted to, or if it didn't mess with the natural balance.

She filled an ornate flask with the precious water, and handed it to me.

"A bargain is struck… I hope it pleases you," she said mysteriously. I didn't reply, and walked off, forcing myself not to run. Nimueh made the hair on the back of my neck stand up. There was just something… off about her.

I rode hard back to Camelot, exhausting both myself and the horse. I hadn't slept since the previous night. I got Gaius as quickly as possible, and nearly ran to the prince's chambers. I held his head tenderly as my uncle poured the antidote down his throat.

Arthur swallowed it on his own strength, hopefully a good sign. As Gaius prepared to leave, I remained where I was, sitting against the headboard of the prince's bed, and cradling his head. Vaguely, I heard the door close, and assumed that my uncle had left.

I brushed some of Arthur's golden hair out of his eyes and left my hand resting on his cheek. "You're not allowed to die, you know," I whispered conversationally. "You're going to be the greatest king Albion has ever seen, and your people will love you." I was very tempted to say 'I love you' too, but stopped myself at the last moment. I wasn't ready.

"You're a prat, but you're _my_ prat, and I've seen the kind of man you can be. Honest, just, kind, strong… Your father may not see it in you, but I do. I can see a Camelot that is fair and just, with a King the people will love and be proud to call their sovereign… So you see why I couldn't let you die; you're too valuable. You're going to be amazing, Arthur."

A small drop of water hit Arthur's forehead, and I realized I was crying. I wiped them away impatiently, and went back to stroking Arthur's hair. "Fine, I guess I can admit it… I-"

I was interrupted by Uther walking in. I froze, but the King went straight to the chair on the other side of Arthur's bed. Carefully, I slid out from under Arthur's head. The prince groaned, and Uther's head shot up. He stared me in the eye with that unreadable near-glare of his.

"I'll just… leave you with your son," I stumbled quietly, and hurried out. I really hoped that Uther hadn't heard any of that.

But then again, if he had, I wouldn't be alive that much longer, so it didn't really matter.

About an hour after I got to my room, Gaius came in to tell me that Arthur had woken up.

I breathed a sigh of relief, though Gaius didn't seem all too happy. I started for my room, but hesitated. I needed to see Arthur one more time. I needed to tell him, before I…

I nearly ran to his room, but stopped in the doorway. Uther was asleep at Arthur's side, worry lines written clear on his face.

I tiptoed over to Arthur's bed, careful not to wake the sleeping king and prince. He looked so innocent, so young when he slept. I sat down on Arthur's other side. Again, I brushed a lock of hair out of his face. _'He needs a haircut,'_ I thought absentmindedly.

"Arthur, there's something I need to tell you," I whispered. "You're a prat, and a royal pain in the arse, and if you were awake you'd be rolling your eyes at me and telling me to shut up, but I need you to hear this. I… I love you, Arthur Pendragon. Me, a serving girl who's breaking Camelot's number one law, loves you… with all my heart. I know you can't love me back, but I needed you to know, and I know I don't have the strength to tell you this when you're awake." I took a shuddering breath and did my best to hold back tears. Then I leaned down and brushed my lips against his lingeringly and stood up.

The prince was stirring, and I ran from the room. Only now noticing Gaius standing in the doorway. I knew he had suspected my feelings for Arthur, but now he knew… I ignored his raised eyebrow and ran as fast as I could back to my room. If Arthur was waking up, than it was time for me to go.

I sat on my bed, clutching the rabbit's foot Gaius had given me for the longest time. Eventually, only a few hours from dawn, I fell into a fitful sleep.

**A/N: After this only 2 chapters remain!**

**Review!**


	23. Le Morte D'Arthur part 2

**A/N: I know; already an update? I swear I'm not my own evil twin sister, and I haven't gone crazy (debate is still open if I wasn't already to start with).  
**

**Apologies to Eilonwyn because I didn't have time to run this by her (she's my wonderful beta), so all mistakes in this chapter and the last are entirely mine!**

**dedication: To my wonderful hostmom Jackie, because she took a virtual stranger in her house, and helped her grow up into the person she always hoped she could be. Thanks 'mom'!**

**Chapter 23: Le Morte D'Arthur – part 2**

I woke up the next morning. It took me a second to realize why that surprised me, but when I did, I couldn't help but feel happy. I hadn't really wanted to die, after all. But it was a little puzzling. I had bargained my life for Arthur's, after all, and Nimueh had said that she didn't have to power to mirror life and give nothing in return.

Since I went to bed fully dressed the previous night, I just got up and walked into Gaius' chambers, a smile on my face.

"Gaius! I'm alive!" I shouted. Then I noticed that my uncle was bent over an unmoving shape. "What is it? What's happened?" I asked, stepping closer.

"Merlynn, stay there!" he ordered, not even looking up from the shape. I ignored his warning and stepped closer. A horrible feeling was developing in my gut.

"What's wrong?" I asked, walking over.

"No, don't-!" he started, but it was too late. I'd recognised the shape on the floor.

"Mother!" I looked around and saw Circe laying in a corner, her head buried under her paws. When she noticed me there, she ran over and nudged my hand.

For once, I ignored the dog, and focussed fully on my mother. She breathed my name, and I reached to touch her, but left my hand hovering over her. "What's happened?" I whispered.

"She's gravely ill," my uncle responded. I begged him to do something, never taking my eyes off my mother, but he said it wasn't an ordinary illness.

"This cannot happen," I whispered, finally daring to lay my hand on her head.

Gaius demanded to know who I met at the Isle, so I told him exactly what had happened. There was nothing he could do. Nimueh had tricked me. Then another thought occurred to me. The dragon had sent me to her, he must have known the price I would have to pay.

I left my mother with Gaius to visit the dragon. He _had_ known the price, but all he cared about was his freedom. He didn't care about me, or my destiny, he only cared about himself. So I told him I'd never set him free.

I resolved to go back to the Isle first thing in the morning. I said my goodbyes to Gaius, and went once again to Arthur's room. This time the goodbye would be permanent.

/*/

The prince was up and about when I entered his room. He was being a prat as usual.

"You still haven't got it yet, have you, Merlynn. I decided when we need to talk," he said importantly.

"Not today," I replied calmly. Arthur gave me a strange look. Usually, I would have made a joke, or listened to him. He wasn't used to this calm defiance.

"I sometimes wonder if you know who I am."

I felt the corner of my lips quirk upwards. "Oh, I know who you are…"

"Good."

"You're a prat… and a royal one," I said, echoing the words I had spoken the day before. A small frown marred the prince's face as I said that.

Arthur couldn't help a slight grin. "Are you ever going to change, Merlynn?"

"No, you'd get bored," I replied, grinning back. Arthur was massaging his shoulder, and grimacing in pain, so I stepped forward and took over the task.

"If you ever get another servant," I said conversationally, "don't get a bootlicker."

"If this is you trying to leave your job…"

"No… I'm happy to be your servant… till the day I die."

Arthur turned in his seat to look at me. I stepped back and met his gaze.

"Sometimes I think I know you, Merlynn… other times…"

"Well, I know you." I said, walking over to the door. "You're a great warrior, and one day you'll be a great king."

"That's very kind of you," he said, frowning again.

"But you must learn to listen as well as you fight."

"Any other pointers?" he asked sarcastically, but I ignored that.

"No," I said, averting my gaze, "that's it." My eyes were starting to burn, and I could only hope that I could hold them in long enough.

"Just don't be a prat." I was sure he'd heard the tremor in my voice. He got up, but stayed where he was, as if unsure.

"Did you come in here, yesterday?" he asked, still frowning.

I froze. He couldn't remember, could he? He was asleep!"

"Of course, I tended to you." I said, hoping to sound casual.

"Because I could have sworn I heard you calling me a prat then too."

I smiled. "I call you a prat whenever I can, Arthur, haven't you learned that?" I asked, but I was still afraid he'd heard me on my second visit. I was a coward and I knew it. I knew I was going to die, and still I could only admit it when he wouldn't remember. I considered telling him now, but the inevitable rejection would hurt too much. I wanted to die under the illusion that he could possibly love me back.

"I have to go, Arthur… Take care," I said, and slipped out before he could say anything more.

/*/

**Arthur POV**

Merlynn was hiding something, Arthur was sure of it. As she slipped out the door he mentally went back over the conversation.

First she'd sounded like she'd said goodbye, which – if he was honest with himself – was a frightening thought. A world without Merlynn… She was his best friend, after all, even if he would never admit that aloud. And he'd had that strange niggling feeling that she was repeating herself. Like she'd said some of that before…

Then it had clicked. He remembered hearing her voice as he floated in darkness, remembered gripping it, holding on to it like a lifeline. He couldn't recall everything she said, only snatches. He _knew_ she'd called him a prat, and he'd been aware of a gentle hand stroking his head. As it had been Merlynn's voice, he figured that it must've been her hand too.

All this, he knew for a fact, had happened sometime the previous day, before he'd woken up. But what was it she said? What was it she didn't want him to know? She had to know by now how horrible a liar she was, but still she'd denied having been there. Why?

And… had she _kissed_ him?

/*/

**Merlynn POV**

Talking to my mother that night only resolved my determination to go back to the Isle. She gave me her permission, but I knew she wasn't in her right mind, otherwise she would've never let me give up my life for hers. The illusion of permission was a welcome one, though.

The next morning, I discovered a note left by Gaius. In it, he basically told me he loved me, saw me as a daughter, and that sacrificing his life for mine was an honour.

How could he do this to me? I was willing to sacrifice my life for one parent, but that didn't mean I was ready to lose the only father I'd ever had!

I took the liberty of borrowing Arthur's bay mare, his fastest horse. I was fairly sure the stable hand who saw me leave would tell the prince about that, but I didn't care. All I could think about was Gaius, riding towards his death.

/*/

It took me far too long to reach the Isle, Gaius could've been there for hours!

As I ran into the ruins of the old keep, I could hear Nimueh's voice echo off every wall, as if she was everywhere around me. But I recognised the magic of the island, and sprinted straight to the heart of the Isle.

dashing into the clearing with the monoliths, the first thing I registered was the high priestess standing over the altar, holding the cup of life. The next was Gaius' prone form at her feet.

"Stop!" I shouted. Nimueh paused, lowering the cup as she turned to look at me.

"Back again so soon, sorceress?" she asked. Like every time I'd heard her voice, there was an undertone of mocking arrogance in it.

"What have you done?" I whispered, stepping closer. But even though my volume was low, my voice carried. I paid it no heed.

"Your mother is safe, isn't that what you wanted?" she sneered.

"Have you killed him?" I forced myself to ask. I couldn't bear the thought of being too late.

"It was his wish," she responded calmly.

Pain laced through my heart. He couldn't be dead! Then pain turned into anger. "I begged my life for Arthur's, not my mother's, not Gaius'!" I shouted.

"The Old Religion does not care who lives and who dies, only that the balance of the world is restored… To save a life, a life must be taken. Gaius knew this."

She seemed far too pleased at Gaius' fate. "It is not the Old Religion that has done this, it is you," I said coldly.

"Come now… We're too valuable to each other to be enemies."

"No! I share nothing with you!"

"With my help, Arthur will become king!" she sneered haughtily.

She should not have said that. The thought of _her_ coming anywhere near Arthur nearly sent me into a frenzy. "I will make Arthur king… but you will never see that day! _Astrice!_" I hurled the spell her way. It should have thrown her against a wall, but here my ignorance displayed itself. Nimueh was far more powerful than I had thought.

She easily caught my spell, and sent a fireball my way. I ducked at the last minute, but was hit by some rubble. Nothing too serious, but I'd have some small cuts and bruises in the morning.

"You, too, are a creature of the Old Religion… you should join me," she offered. But I saw past her innocent façade.

"You think I would join forces with such a selfish and cruel magic? Never." And I would gladly die for my beliefs.

"So be it…" she said and uttered another spell, sending a fireball my way so fast, I had no chance to dodge it. It hit me square in the chest.

I was sent flying backwards and ended, winded, a few yards behind where I had been standing. I smelled smoke, and the centre of my chest was uncomfortably warm, but I could tell I wasn't in any danger of dying.

"Pity," I heard Nimueh say, "Together we could have ruled the world."

As soon as I heard her footsteps recede, I opened my eyes and got up. My magic tingled just below the surface, coursing through my veins already. "You should not have killed my friend," I whispered, but again, my voice carried.

Nimueh turned around, her eyes wide, as I lifted mine to the skies. They darkened, and thundered rolled through the pitch-black clouds. My hand, almost of its own volition, indicated the priestess, and, instantly, she was struck by blots of lightning. In a blast, she was gone.

It started to rain, but I disregarded that and ran to my uncle's still form at the base of the altar. I pulled him close and shook him, but he didn't react. I let out a wordless scream to the skies, which thundered in response. Lightning lit the heavens as I cried for the only father I'd ever known.

Then I felt him move, and instantly, relief coursed through me. "Gaius! You're alive!"

"What did you do?" he asked weakly. I though about saying something funny like 'why do you always assume I did something', but figured now wasn't the time.

What did I do, though? Gaius was dead a few minutes ago, and now he wasn't… _'But Nimueh is,'_ a little voice in my head said. Did that mean…?

"Nimueh is dead," I said as I processed the events of the past couple of moments. "The Balance of the world has been restored."

"You amaze me… You mastered the power of life and death itself!" he praised, still weakly. I grinned broadly at him. "We'll make a great warlock out of you yet," he mumbled.

"So you believe in me now?" I asked, already knowing the answer. Gaius would always be there for me, and he would always believe in me.

"I would if… you could… stop this blasted rain."

**A/N: So, second to last chapter, are y'all holding back tears? I am!**

**A big thanks to everyone who reviewed: saroura92, grapejuice101 (9th review!) and Lavender Lightning !  
**


	24. Epilogue

**A/N: So this is the last chapter of this part of the series! Are you sad? I'm not, because I'm already planning the next season! The next story will be called 'A woman's love'.  
**

**Please check out my one shot 'A woman's wiles'! it's random, and only loosely based on this, but still!**

**dedication: To grapejuice101, because you've reviewed 10 times (that I've counted), and you're a wonderful reader. Thank you so much for all the encouragement and kind words, you're the best!**

**Epilogue**

So that's how my first year in Camelot came to an end. All in all it was a very eventful time, and I wouldn't have changed it for the world. Except maybe fewer brushes with death?

My mother recovered speedily, and stayed with us for another three days. I introduced her to Ellie, and the two immediately took a liking to each other. Mother seemed to think it was the closest to a grandchild she'd even get. I rolled my eyes at her good-naturedly.

Of course, this brought up another subject that was still a little sore for me. I was in love with the Crown Prince of Camelot, a man whose father wouldn't hesitate to have me killed if he found out what I could do, what I was. Arthur also seemed uncomfortably close to remembering what I'd said when he was asleep, and add to that the fact that he mostly remembered the Sophia mess (though he still thought it was a dream), and it was a recipe for disaster. Arthur was my best friend, and I would never do anything to endanger that, it meant too much to me.

Even if he did feel the same, we could never be together. It was bad enough I was a servant, but a sorceress too? And a powerful at that.

About that; I could now mirror Life and Death, but I wasn't so sure it was a good thing. Power corrupts, they say, and, in a fit of rage, I'd killed a person. Granted, she wasn't a very decent person, but she was a human being… she was my kin.

I was grateful for my mother's presence, as she reassured me when I cried. I had killed another sorceress, and I'd never be innocent again. Circe tried to help as much as she could, and the dog's presence was definitely a welcome one, but my mind remained in turmoil.

Arthur, thankfully, had given me most of the next few days off, only requiring me to bring him his meals. I did this with as little eye contact as possible. He noticed, of course, but didn't actually say anything until the day after my mother left.

I walked in without knocking, as usual, and placed his tray on the table. Arthur sat in his chair in front of the fire, massaging his shoulder. I had planned to just slip out of the room without him noticing me, but as soon as I took a step towards the door, his voice stopped me.

"Merlynn."

I turned around slowly. He was leaning around the back of his chair, frowning at me. "Yes, sire?" I said, hoping he didn't hear the squeak in my voice.

"Come here," he said, indicating a smaller chair in front of his. I sat down gingerly. "Spill," he ordered.

"E- excuse me?" I squeaked again.

Arthur sighed in exasperation. "You've been avoiding me ever since we talked."

"No I haven't."

I was met with a flat stare. "You know you're a horrible liar, Merlynn, why even try?"

I shrugged uncomfortably. "Look, Arthur, if all you're going to do is insult my lying capabilities…" I trailed off.

"I know you were in here the other day, and I know you talked to me," he said, holding up a hand to forestall my argument. "Don't even bother, I checked with the castle guards, they saw you come in. I know you talked to me, but I only remember snatches. You refuse to tell me what you said, and then you act like you're saying goodbye. Then I hear you took one of my horses and galloped out of Camelot at break-neck speed, only to return late that night with an exhausted Gaius. Pair that with some of the dreams I've been having, and I know you're hiding something."

I bit my lip. Telling Arthur would serve no purpose, except to satisfy the prince's curiosity. Plus, it might get me sent to the stocks… again.

"What did you say to me that night that you could only say while I was asleep?" he asked.

I shifted uncomfortably. "Just the usual stuff, you know, you'll make a great king, you can't die, you're a prat…" I replied, hoping to sound casual.

"I remember that, but you said something after that, what was it?" he demanded, a little forcefully.

Against my will, my eyes started prickling. This was a no-win situation: if I didn't tell him, he wouldn't trust me, and if I did, our friendship might be over. "Arthur…" I started, but didn't know what to say. A tear spilled, unbidden, over my cheek, and I wiped it away impatiently.

In an instant, Arthur was right in front of me, his free arm around my shoulder. "Merlynn…" He sounded so uncomfortable.

I took a deep breath and got myself back under control. Pushing him back gently, I looked him in the eye. "I'm just not ready to tell you."

There was a light in his eye that told me he suspected. Luckily, Arthur wasn't completely dense, so he backed off.

The prince nodded, almost to himself. "When can you get back to work?" He knew that I'd be back tomorrow, he was only asking to change the topic.

"Tomorrow, sire," I replied, looking down.

"All right…" He shifted uncomfortably, trying to massage his injured arm again. I had become a sort of nervous habit.

I rolled my eyes, and led him back to his chair and pushed him down. He frowned at me, but didn't complain. We really had come a long way in a year.

Standing behind him, I rubbed his shoulders, feeling the tension in them. "Aw, you miss me, don't you?" I teased.

But Arthur had his eyes half-closed, and wasn't paying very much attention to what he said. "Yes, I miss you." Or, at least, I thought he wasn't.

I quickly released his shoulders and went to the door. "If your shoulder is bothering you so much, maybe you should see Gaius again," I suggested, hoping I could get out of there soon, before I did something stupid like confess to what I'd said.

"Yes… yes, maybe I'll do that," he replied awkwardly.

I slipped out the door, satisfied that the status quo had been restored… somewhat at least.

'_Well, I survived one year… I guess another few can't be too hard, can it?' _I thought to myself.

THE END (for now)

**A/N: Tell me what you think, and all your idea for the future, I'd love to hear it! Also, tell me what you think about the story in general, I appreciate constructive criticism. Some people have told me they don't think Arthur would ever hit a woman (see Valiant), and I agree that I have made some mistakes.**

**I will be replacing all the earlier chapters with some improvements (like Terri/Circe's name) etc. feel free to ignore it ^^**

**But really, check out the sequel to this!**

**Thank you all so much, you make my like all that much brighter  
Sincerely,  
Anne**


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